The Third Party Accumulation
by WeBuiltThePyramids
Summary: Leonard and Penny get into a situation that can't be resolved by her slamming a door. Their lives have been changed forever. Can they stay together?
1. The Improbable Proclamation

**I'm attempting a longer Leonard/Penny story, here. I've got a good bit of it written already, since I didn't want to start and find nowhere to go with it, aside from the usual path this type of story takes. I'm going to spend a lot of time trying to keep them in character, well, as much as any of us can without an expert physicist to throw in some science stuff! I haven't too much done, though, so whatever suggestions you all have is welcome!**

I don't own any of these amazing people. Sadly, I'm not CBS.

"My, it's been a long and terribly unproductive day," Sheldon said, coming out of his bedroom and heading to the refrigerator. "Not only is the electron laser under repair, I cannot find the latest edition of _Flash_."

"Mmmm." Leonard was not paying much attention. He was reading a String Theory essay online, and the print was small, distracting. The essay was recommended to him by the department head, yet Leonard was finding nothing new in this particular dissertation. His boss was expecting a write up on this material, and Leonard had no idea what he was going to tell him.

"Since I'm obviously being ignored," Sheldon said, "I'm going to call Koothrapali and get him to take me to the comic-book store."

"Do whatever you want," Leonard said. "Just leave me alone."

Sheldon stopped just short of the door. "Sarcasm?"

Leonard's head jerked impatiently in Sheldon's direction. "No!"

"Well, I'm _sorry_ but when you-" Sheldon cut off abruptly as he saw Leonard reach for his paperweight. "Have a nice afternoon."

Now that he was gone, Leonard rubbed his forehead and tried to focus. It _had_ been a long and unproductive day, but it wasn't so bad that he should be feeling this irritable. It was probably the result of three fairly unsuccessful years. The nighttime research, the North Pole trip…nothing had produced significant results. It seemed like no matter what he did, he'd never be anybody in the world of Physics. And that was what he wanted, to make a significant contribution to the world, to make a difference.

Leonard clicked an icon in the corner of the screen in an attempt to enlarge the font. That resulted in the laptop freezing momentarily. With the font slightly larger, Leonard squinted at the paper, determined to get it read.

There was a light rapping at the door behind him, and he turned just as it opened slightly, feeling annoyed. Penny stuck her head in. "Leonard?"

"Hey." He turned in his swivel chair to face her, trying to replace his expression with a more pleasant one.

She slid inside and eased the door shut. "Do you have a minute? I need to talk to you."

"What's up?" Since they'd gotten past a somewhat rocky start to their dating relationship, they'd grown very comfortable with one another. When they shared news, they never informed each other that they needed to talk; they simply talked. The look on Penny's face added to Leonard's concern. She wasn't acting different enough that someone who didn't know her well would notice; but Leonard noticed. He stood and walked over to the couch. Penny had sunk down on the far right end and was wringing her hands, like she did when she was nervous.

Leonard sank down beside Penny, angled so he faced her. "Is it your mother?"

Penny shook her head. "Still in remission; I called yesterday. Leonard," she said looking first at him and then down in her lap. "Leonard," she said, pausing. She glanced back up at him, and opened her mouth as if she was going to speak. She closed it again, and looked back down. "I'm pregnant."

He looked at her in confusion. "What? How?"

She shook her head, not even bothering to joke about how a 173 I.Q. brain would ask _how_. "I don't know, but I am. I'm positive." She sighed. "I…I just don't know."

He cocked his head. "When?" She turned her hands palms up. "What are you going to do?"

She looked at him like he was crazy. "Keep it." He smiled. Her hair was combed, but it hung over in front of her face as she stared at her lap. Leonard noticed that her nails were bitten down to stubs. "How long have you known?"

"Yesterday, for sure," she said. "I'd suspected for a week or so, but since I wasn't sure I didn't want to bother you…with all you've had going on lately."

"All my important scientific contributions?" he said wryly. She looked up at him and gave a crooked half smile. It was gone the next instant. "Leonard, what am I going to do? I make minimum wage, I...I have no savings." She put her head in her hands, shoving her hair back. "God we…we were so _careful_!"

"Penny," Leonard said, still trying to make sense of what she was saying. He still struggled on what to say to people outside of his nerd bubble. Often he embarrassed himself, and now he wasn't thinking clearly at all, what with his work conundrum. But even he could tell that Penny was as stressed as he was. "It'll be okay."

Raising her head, Penny looked at him. "Leonard, we don't know the first thing!"

"Didn't you grow up on a farm?" he teased.

"Sure. I can raise calves. I can help birth pigs. What good is that going to do _us_?" She bit her thumbnail. "I won't be able to keep up my work hours, and-"

"Don't worry about the money," Leonard said with sudden determination. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll help you. You're not in this alone, you know. Marie and Pierre Curie raised children while spending a significant amount of time on their work with radium. And it's not like I have anything urgent to do. No more work trips. I'm here."

Penny turned to look at him. For a moment Leonard thought his words hadn't any effect. Her expression held the same worried tension. Then her features softened and she sighed, leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder. She reached over with her right arm and laid it on his hand. "Thanks, Leonard," she said softly.

**Okay…there's the beginning. I promise it won't all be happy, sappy, sweet stuff, and I'll try to bring in people outside of the regulars…I'm for sure bringing in some Mrs. Cooper, Leslie, probably Stuart…any suggestions let me know. If I can think of any good material I'll try to give Penny and Sheldon some one-on-one banter…nothing romantic, I promise that! Let me know what you think and again, I'm open to suggestions!**

**Oh, and if anything I write here is similar to anything else on this site, it's totally unintended-there are a lot of stories out there about a lot of shows, and I can't possibly read them all!**


	2. The Announcement Descrepancy

**Thanks to all my reviewers, LenaGuffi, xxTizzyxGaGa-Blankxx, and flboo22. Here's the second chapter. Everyone remember that I need ideas for other characters to bring in!**

"No, no, no," Howard argued. "It made him seem more likeable…self defense."

"Han shot first!" Sheldon said. "Aside from the audience's element of surprise, he was ensuring that Greedo would not have blown his head off in an effort to get the _Millennium Falcon._"

"What do you think, Leonard?" Howard said, turning to where he was sitting, on a stool in the kitchen area.

Leonard looked up from his half-finished write up of the string theory essay. He'd managed to finish reading the paper after Penny had left for work, but he was still having trouble concentrating. She had to work until eight, and then she'd come over for a late dinner with the guys. They had agreed not to tell the guys their news until they were both there, which Leonard would have done anyway. He didn't need them to be discussing the results of his and Penny's relationship while he was trying to get work done. "Han shot first," he said, blocking the conversation out and finishing the paragraph. He set his pencil down and pretended to proof read his work, but he really wasn't. He was thinking.

"I'm pregnant."

Never in his wildest dreams did he expect those words to come out of Penny's mouth. He'd been bracing for news of her mother, or of her nephew, who'd been injured in a drunk driving accident. He actually would have been more prepared for her to blindside him and tell him she wanted to break up. He was _never_ expecting her to tell him that she was going to have a baby. Leonard didn't know whether to be pleased or worry at that news. What _were_ they going to do? He knew next to nothing about that kind of thing, despite his high level of intelligence. And as for Penny…what good did calves and piglets do their situation?

"Good evening, and may I add that you are looking especially scrumptious in that top?" Leonard knew Penny had arrived before even turning. She stood just inside the door, locked in a stare down with Howard, clad in jean shorts and dark pink shirt with zip-up hoodie over the top. Howard broke gaze, and Penny shifted hers to Leonard. "I'm just gonna go change."

"No, it's fine," Leonard said. "Ignore him. He's just…mad because…Han shot first; I'll grab you a chair."

The door opened again. "Sorry I'm late!" Raj stood in the doorway, holding bags of food.

Penny smiled sympathetically at him. "Oh, Raj."

Raj nodded quickly, giving Penny a small smile. She took a bag from him and set it on the table, sinking down in the chair Leonard had brought. Sheldon and Howard remained where they were, Sheldon on the left end of the couch and Howard in the middle. Raj sat on the right end, and Leonard sat next to Penny, himself in his white easy chair. He and Penny kept glancing at each other while the five made conversation, discussing comic books, having Raj whisper to Howard his views on Han and Greedo. (Han shot first) and Sheldon explaining how he found his _Flash_ comic book.

"Penny," Leonard said finally, "How was work today?"

She put down her food. "Oh, it was okay. I talked to the manager, and he said just to keep him updated. Cheryl is happy for me, of course."

"Happy for you?" Howard asked. "What did you do? When?"

Just then there was a beeping noise. "Time for laundry," Sheldon said. "It's 8:15."

"Great." Leonard said dismissively. The four watched as Sheldon got up and marched down the hall.

"Laundry Night. Saturday at eight fifteen. Why can't we just have Anything Can Happen Saturday?" Leonard asked the question irritably. Of course Sheldon would interrupt their attempt at easing into the conversation.

"We already had that, when Penny took all the machines and then he hung her clothes from the wire, remember?" Howard smirked, and Penny and Leonard gave each other an anxious glance.

Raj saved them when he whispered something to Howard. "Right. What was it you were saying?" The engineer asked Penny. "What happened and when?"

Penny looked at Leonard. "Well," she said, "I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but I became the mother of Leonard's baby."

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?" Raj managed in a shrill voice.

Howard was looking at Penny. "Oh, don't worry. You'll still look hot fat and hunched over."

She rolled her eyes. "Not flattering, Howard."

"I'm surprised, though, Leonard." Howard said. "I doubted your odds of reproducing nearly as much as Sheldon's, and he's not interested at all in women!"

Sheldon came through with a heaping laundry basket. "_I'm_ not surprised. Frequent coitus dramatically increases the odds of fertilization. And as we all know, Leonard and Penny have not been shy about staying over at each other's places in the past months."

"Thank you, Sheldon."

"You're welcome, Leonard." Sheldon smiled, always happy to help, and exited the apartment.

"Well!" Howard said, making it sound like three syllables. "This is mighty interesting. Did you two not-"

"We did." Penny sighed. "Always."

"Always," Leonard repeated quietly. He caught Penny looking at him. "What was it you were saying about work?"

"Work?" Penny thought. "Oh yes, the manager said he'd have no problem on me cutting back on my hours as I get farther along…though of course until I go to the doctor I won't really know how far along I am now…"

Howard seemed to remember his manners then. "Well, congratulations Leonard," he said. "I didn't really think you'd ever knock someone up."

"Thanks, Howard." Leonard said sarcastically. "I appreciate it."

Penny refused to thank Howard even mordantly.

**Okay, there's chapter two. And I promise that later on Sheldon will realize and address the problem of crying infants. **

**Oh, and I'll try to get these up as soon as I can, but my teachers are PILING homework on me. I'll do the best I can. Oh, and from now on I'm trying to make the chapter titles refer to two things in the chapter, like they do on the show. This one refers to the Han Shot First despute and Penny and Leonard telling the guys their news.**


	3. The Irritation Situation

**Thanks to all reviewers, I honestly wasn't expecting such positive feedback, so thank you! Hope this won't be a disappointment. More interesting stuff will start happening in the next chapter, I promise!**

"You'll call me when you get out?" Leonard asked. He was dropping Penny off at the doctors'. She'd wanted to get in as soon as possible to make sure everything was okay. He had to get to work; otherwise he'd go with her.

"I promise I'll let you know how it goes," she said, smiling at him. "Thanks for the ride."

"Now, are you sure that you'll be able to find the bus station from here?" Leonard asked, "Because I could try to come get you…I'm sure that I could…"

"Leonard!" She was laughing. "Even if this city hadn't been my home for the past several years, I could find a bus stop a block away! I think I'll be fine." She waved at him as he drove away, drumming his fingers furiously on the steering wheel.

Leonard fretted all morning, not able to concentrate until 11:30 when Penny called. His phone was out on the desk, and as it rang, he jumped on it and picked it up. "Hi Penny! Are you okay …is everything okay?"

"Hey, Leonard," Penny answered.

"Are you at the bus stop yet?"

He could hear her laughing. "No, but I can see it. I promised I'd call you right away, remember? You think I'd wait to get on the bus?" She didn't pause but for a second. "And I'm fine, the baby's fine, and the doctor says that she's confident that everything is fine so far. I'm about six weeks along, as near as she can tell."

"Well that's great!" Leonard exclaimed, getting up to shut the door to his office.

"Yeah. I asked her about the alcohol I had a month ago, but since it wasn't a lot she said it wouldn't matter much. And I haven't drunk anything since then, since my nephew was hurt in that drunken driving accident."

"A blessing in disguise," Leonard said, half to himself.

"I'm sorry, what?" Penny asked. "I was reading the bus sign."

"Oh, nothing." Leonard heard the voice of his boss coming down the hall. "Are you going home?"

"Yes, for an hour before going to work. I'll be off at six today, since Trish is coming in to train Rochelle."

"I'll pick you up, then. Gotta go." Leonard hung up just as he heard his boss knock. Scurrying over to his desk, he sat and composed himself. The knock came again. "Come in," he called. He stood. "Dr. Gablehauser," he greeted his boss.

"Dr. Hofstadter. Do you have the paper for me?"

Leonard shuffled through his papers. "Yes. I found little original material, but I noted it and added my thoughts."

"Thank you. We're certainly hopeful. I'll leave you to it, then."

"Thank you." Leonard sat staring at his pencil mug after Gablehauser left. It would be the same old, same old. No success. No breakthroughs. He had told Penny shortly after they'd met that, aside from string theory; there'd been no real news since the 1930's. You couldn't even prove string theory. He'd known that for years. Why was it bothering him so much now?

Leonard sighed, letting his thoughts wander to Penny. She was a much more pleasant thought.

The next evening...

"So then he says, 'why would we? We don't believe in loop theory!"

Leonard and Howard laughed at the joke. "Where did you hear that, Raj?"

"One of the grad students."

"You talked to her?" Howard asked.

"No, I overheard her telling her friends." Raj looked disappointed. "Needless to say, Leslie Winkle was there and she reduced the group to tears. I guess we shouldn't be surprised, though, since she has made Sheldon cry."

"Ooh…needy grad students…why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"Howard…" Leonard warned.

"Easy for you to say, Papa," Howard said. "You've got the hottest chick in this town!"

"That won't last long," Raj said. "If they're even still attracted to each other in nine months, they'll be so rusty that they'll be where they started when they first slept together."

"Not to mention she'll soon be fatter than her Daddy's best hog," Howard added.

"He doesn't have hogs anymore," Leonard said. "Can we not talk about this?"

"We could talk about something else, but it wouldn't be as fun!" Howard glanced at Raj, and they grinned, enjoying their favorite hobby-irritating Leonard.

"Howard!" Leonard snapped. "Why do you do this?"

"Well," he began, "because it's hilarious, for one…"

"Why can't you just be supportive for once?" He mumbled, getting up.

"Where are you going?" Raj asked.

"Penny's." Leonard crossed the hall quickly and knocked before entering. Penny was in her bedroom, curled up with a magazine. "Hey," he said, crossing the room.

"Hey." She put the magazine down and sat up. "Aren't Raj and Howard over?"

Leonard sat on the edge of the bed. "Yes." He looked down at the floor, aware that she was looking at him curiously. He had come over to be with her since the other guys were giving them a hard time, but he didn't want to tell her that.

She leaned over and put a hand on his arm. "Is…something wrong, Leonard?"

"No." He shook his head. "I just…needed to get out of there." He hoped she'd leave it at that.

She leaned back, picking up her magazine and glancing at the back. "How was the comic book store?"

"Well, Sheldon and Stuart got in an argument again. Lasted an hour and a half. By the time we got out of there, Raj and Howard had told basically the entire store about you and me, adding their own false and creepy details when convenient."

"God." She swung her legs around so she was sitting beside him. "Maybe we shouldn't have told them so quickly."

"We'll we'd have had to eventually. And you know how Howard pays attention to every woman he sees-he'd notice pretty fast."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" She feigned hurt, and then leaned against him, taking his hand and squeezing it. "You know, the more I think about this, the more I like it, but the more it scares me, too."

Leonard kissed her on the top of her head. "Me, too. But we'll get through it."

Penny smiled and squeezed his hand again. She got up and reached for a tissue. Leonard scooted to the other side of the bed and lay down on top of the covers, staring up at the ceiling fan. He closed his eyes, but felt the end of the bed lower as Penny climbed back on. When he opened his eyes, she was staring at him, one arm on either side of his rib cage. "You going to stay here?"

"Maybe." He closed his eyes again. "My head hurts."

Penny bent and kissed him on the forehead. "Better?" She moved back over to her side and pulled the covers around her. "Can I turn off the light?" Leonard grunted, and the next instant they were bathed in darkness.

Leonard still couldn't relax. His head was throbbing so hard he thought that if the light was on Penny would be able to see it. He sighed and pressed his fingers to his temples. He could hear Penny sit up. "You're really not going to tell me what's wrong?"

Leonard could barely see her. "It's work, Penny. Don't worry about it."

"You can't be allowed to worry about me if I can't worry about you, just a little bit."

"I'm not making any progress in my research. But I'm a physicist. We're used to off days. Or weeks…years…" He trailed off.

She patted his arm. "We all have our share of worries. Didn't you tell me once that not much has happened in a long while? That must mean there's something out there to discover, and maybe you'll discover it-something great."

"The guys and I are going to play paintball the day after tomorrow," Leonard said.

"Good. That will take your mind off work."

Leonard nodded, then said "yes," when he realized that Penny probably couldn't see him since he was lying down. "Do you want to come?"

"Yeah, I'd love to, but I don't think it's safe."

"Call the doctor and ask."

Penny grinned. "Yeah, because she'd love to get a call at ten at night about _that_!" She shook her head. "I'll come and watch."

"Okay." Leonard's eyes were closed, but his arm reached lazily up to squeeze her shoulder.

"Okay." Penny leaned over and kissed Leonard's cheek. "Night, sweetie," she said, laying her head by his.

Penny lay awake for a long time after Leonard fell asleep. She was glad he was near her and glad he was supporting her in her decision to have the baby, but now that she had quiet to think, she wasn't _all_ glad. "We'll get through it." That was the way that he reacted to her telling him she had worries. Of course they'd "get through it;" they weren't going to die over this situation. But she had worries…insurance and money worries. Having a baby was expensive. There was so much that needed to be done to ensure that she and the baby were healthy, and his attitude was "we'll get through it?" Was that the best he had to offer? She remembered their first intimate encounter that he'd described as "fine." He never could give more than a general analysis of any situation, could he? He'd had a similar response when she'd brought up the issue of having no money saved up- "It'll be okay." She listened to his breathing and thought that she and he had different interpretations of "okay."

She shifted her weight and yawned, trying to reason with herself. It was late and she was between paychecks. That explained the stress. Shifting again to get closer to her boyfriend, he stirred in his sleep to put his arm around her. That was the Leonard she knew, and Penny took solace in the closeness as she pushed all worrisome thoughts out of her mind and fell asleep.

**I wasn't sure how to end this chapter, so I just decided to give a bit of insight into Penny's thoughts, so what will happen later in the story won't be such a shocker. I won't give away any more than that, except that nothing will happen that isn't pretty typical of the people it happens to: so no Sheldon/Penny jumping-the-shark- oh, excuse me, romance (I keep reiterating this yes, but that's because I'm so against it) or Leonard going off and cheating on Penny since she's undesirable…nothing like that.**

**Review, please!**


	4. The Deficit Complication

**I managed to get two chapters done in one day, partially because nothing much happened in the last one and I didn't want you all to be left with the story like that, and it will be at least two days before I'll be able to get on here again. **

**I still don't own anything…**

"I have to say, we would probably have won if you would have played. Not many bulky women can be a good shot with a paintball gun, but I think you could have done it," Howard told Penny as the fivesome entered the apartment building.

"Don't try your reverse compliments on me, Howard," she said. "And I don't even look different yet."

"It's true, Howard," Sheldon said. "Penny does not fit the definition of the word you have just used. The word, 'bulky' implies heavy, massive, or hulking. It has a similar meaning to the word bulk. Penny, I admit I was not taking pregnancy into consideration in my formula for your bulk-order feminine hygiene products. I apologize."

"The beautiful mind of Sheldon Cooper missing a factor in one of his formulas…" Penny mused aloud.

"Don't," Leonard said. "Be glad he actually apologized."

"I have to say," Howard said, "that with the combination of Penny's shot and my lightning quick decisions, our team would have had it won from the very beginning."

"Your lightning quick decisions?" Leonard laughed. "Like when the Dr. Baldwin snuck up on you and you pulled Raj into the path of the blast?" Raj looked at Howard pointedly and raised his eyebrows.

"I…" Howard stammered. "Shut up."

Penny laughed. Leonard had been right. Watching the game had been a welcome distraction. "I'm just going to get my mail," she told the guys as they headed up the stairs. Walking over to her box, she pulled out a handful of envelopes. One was a letter from her maternal grandmother, who was ill. It contained no news, just the idle chitchat that outlined the elderly woman's life, from gardening to fixing her hair. There was a postcard from some destination spot Penny had never heard of, telling her of "fantastic rates." Well, that paper shredder she'd won in a Cheesecake Party raffle would finally get some use. The other three were bills. Rent, cable, and her car payment. Groaning at the sum, she leaned her head against the wall. That was almost all the money she had, and the first doctor bill would be rolling in any day now. Waitressing was no job for a single mother, this Penny knew. Stuffing the bills in her purse, she took the stairs two at a time and went to put them in her apartment before changing into something more comfortable and going next door.

"Hey," Leonard said when she entered, "We're getting pizza."

"Could you get me a salad, please?" She asked.

Leonard didn't answer her, but told the person he was on the phone with to add a salad. Going over to her chair, she sat down and stared at a watermark left on the coffee table. It gave her something to look blankly at while she pondered her situation. She owed a lot of money. It was the same as every month, but normally it wouldn't cause her concern. She could scrape by, with just a little money left over, and be happy enough. But now it wasn't just about her anymore, and the added medical bills would do her in after the next month or so.

So what to do? No one would hire a pregnant woman, and it wasn't as if she hadn't been looking for a new job before. She didn't exactly have credentials. She couldn't ask her family for money; they already thought she was a fool for going off to California with Kurt; breaking up with him six months later seemed to add to their "I told you so," attitude. She'd never been able to make her father proud of her, and trying to mooch off of him wouldn't help. _One thing I know for sure,_ Penny thought, _my baby is going to get all the love and attention he or she can take. I won't let it grow up feeling it is a failure, like Leonard and I did._ The thought made her feel better.

When the food came, Penny ate her salad quietly while the other guys discussed work and the paintball game. She was so out of the conversation that Raj even took part, forgetting for the most part that she was even there.

When Raj and Howard said good-night and left, Sheldon took his comic books and went into his room to read, leaving Penny and Leonard alone in the living area. "Are you okay?" Leonard asked her.

"Do I _look_ okay?" Penny snapped before she could help herself.

Leonard looked perplexed. "Yes, but…you're very…quiet."

"I'm just thinking. I do do that once in a while, you know." Penny was surprised at how sharply she'd answered him. She lowered her head. "Sorry."

"What's bothering you so much? Howard made several comments over dinner that normally would have sent you over the breaking point and told him off. I think even he was surprised you didn't."

"To be honest," Penny said, "I kind of tuned out."

"Worried about money again?" He asked.

Penny was surprised he figured it out, but then again, his I.Q. _was_ 173. "Three bills came today."

"Can you afford them?"

"Barely." Penny sighed. "Don't worry about it, Leonard. I'll figure it out."

Leonard and Penny both looked down at the same spot on the floor. Then Leonard spoke. "Let me help you out." Penny shook her head. "I'm serious. I'm the father, at least let me pay the medical bills. It's not all your obligation because you're the one that's…you know…pregnant." Leonard stood up. "We can't be in this together if you don't let me help, Penny. And it's not because of an obligation-I want to."

Penny stood, too. She faced him, trying to read his expression. She didn't want help; she could do it herself…who was she kidding? She hugged him gratefully. "I've asked this before, I know, but I still wonder: why can't all guys be like you?"

A few days to a week later...

"God! Just kill me, Leonard. Shoot me or something."

"How about I get you more crackers?" he suggested, holding Penny's hair out of the way while she knelt by the toilet.

She moaned, leaning back against him. "I hate crackers." She looked up and saw him grinning. "It's not funny!" She wiped traces of vomit from her mouth with a wad of toilet paper and flushed it.

He laughed, and then his face grew solemn. "I know, I'm sorry."

Day ten of morning sickness had hit Penny just like the first nine: hard. She'd throw up violently until nearly ten in the morning, and she'd feel weak for another hour or so. Sometimes, like this time, Leonard could help her by joking in between fits of nausea. He took it as a challenge and felt accomplished when he'd get her to smile.

Penny stood shakily, leaning on Leonard for support. "Take it easy," he said, "Don't overdo it. It's only nine thirty."

"Hurts my knees," Penny complained, resting against the sink. She caught a look at her arm. "My skin is so dry."

"Don't touch your lotion," Leonard warned. The strong smell was too much for Penny until at least noon every day. He was expecting a laugh, a playful glare, or something along the lines of "won't make that mistake again." Instead he saw Penny bent at the waist and gag again, falling to her knees. Leonard dropped to his knees behind her and held her shoulders while they jerked. "What happened? Was it me?"

"Not your fault…"

"Well, technically, it is."

"Don't get scientific on me now," Penny joked.

After another forty minutes or so, Penny felt well enough to leave the bathroom. "Two more months of this," she said quietly. "Two more months of puking my guts out every day."

"Actually," Leonard put in, "I read yesterday that morning sickness could disappear after two months."

"Really?"

"Yes, but…it also said it could last the duration of the pregnancy."

Penny sighed. "Great." She put on her robe and sat down on the couch. "It's frustrating because I'm not showing yet and I still have to deal with puking every day, not to mention I'm running to the bathroom like every ten minutes to pee." She looked at the clock. "Damn. I'm going to be late for work."

"When are you going in?" Leonard asked. It was only after ten.

"Ten-thirty." Penny was heading for the bedroom to change.

Leonard followed her. "Why would you go in that early? You haven't had to work before noon before."

She pulled her uniform out of her closet. "I said I'd come in early. Extra money." She went into the bathroom to change.

Leonard was worried. Penny didn't deal well with stress, and he could tell that she was feeling some of it, especially these past few days. She'd made it to seven weeks with no sign of morning sickness, and just when she was beginning to think she'd be one of the women who were free of it, it had hit. Being as violent as it was, it had made her wary of everything that was to come. And the money she'd taken from him to help with the bills hadn't seemed to ease her nerves much, if at all, leading Leonard to the suspicion that she'd accepted far less from him than she needed. Adding to those suspicions were her suddenly taking on more and more hours, at a time when she shouldn't be thinking of putting in ten hour days.

Penny came out of her room with a smile, looking perfectly composed. She kissed Leonard's cheek and grabbed her purse. Her step was lively, and she looked happy. Maybe it was just Leonard's imagination.


	5. The Scheduling Dispute

Do I have to post a disclaimer every chapter? Well, if I do, then here it is. None of these characters are mine!

The next month's bills caused Penny more worry. The money Leonard had given her the month before had helped, but it had been only half of what she'd really needed. She hated asking him for help; he had his own problems, and it wasn't his fault that she had never been able to save. It wasn't even his fault, really, that she was pregnant. They'd been careful. Sometimes protection just didn't work. She'd never even considered that it would happen to her. Nor had she been prepared for the massive amount of money she owed her doctor, the cable and electric companies, and the building manager. The amount of money Leonard gave her last month wouldn't even cover a third of it, and she didn't have much more to put in herself.

Penny sat on one of the barstools with a highlighter, outlining the money she owed. She would be paid tomorrow, and if she took the check to the bank that day…she was still hundreds of dollars short. If she emptied her bank accounts now, she could make it this month. After that…she closed her eyes. She was in big trouble.

Looking at the total amount again made her throw her head back in frustration. Whenever she tried to calm herself down by downplaying the situation, all she had to do was look at the figure to make herself tense up again. She remembered thinking to herself that her baby wouldn't grow up thinking it was a failure due to lack of affection by his or her parents. Penny'd always tried to believe that she was better than what her father thought she was. Looking at her bills, she knew she wasn't. She _was_ a disappointment, and now she was financially unable to care for another person that was her responsibility. It was embarrassing, and Penny felt almost shamed by her quandary. Back when she'd accepted money from Leonard things weren't so bad. He would have thought that she just needed a little help. Things weren't like they were now. Leonard was so, so smart, and she wanted him to think highly of her. She would die of humiliation if he knew what an irresponsible person she was.

She stood, suddenly too anxious to remain sitting. Pacing, her breath came shorter and shorter until she was clutching the back of the couch to remain upright. Was this a panic attack? She didn't know. _Calm down, Penny. Stop freaking out and instead think of what you can do to fix this._ She forced deep, slow breaths into her lungs.

She felt a sudden rush of determination. She could change her schedule at work, add more hours, and maybe find another small job for her off hours. She could work seven days a week: she was healthy and the morning sickness was subsiding.

Penny pulled out her phone and called the restaurant and a few of her co-workers. After a half hour of talking and convincing eight different people that yes, she was feeling up to the task, she hung up the phone.

Her eyes fell on her work schedule she'd copied. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday she worked 9-6. Saturday and Sunday she had only worked 12-6, but now she got an extra two hours each morning. Penny could always find something to do on Mondays, too. The thought of all that work made her tired, but Penny couldn't see another way out of it. Whether it was her fault or Leonard's, whether it was both of them or none of them, she was going to have a baby. She needed to be able to care for it, and she wanted its father to be proud of her.

There was a knock at the door. Pulling a few books and a jacket over the bills, she went to the door. It wasn't Leonard, only Sheldon with a box that had come for her that morning while she was out. It had things in it that she had ordered when her money situation was okay, so Penny went straight to her laptop to sell them.

**A Week Or So Later…**

Leonard woke up feeling confused. He was alone, which wouldn't have been strange if he didn't find himself in Penny's apartment. He didn't spend every night there, just once or twice a week when Raj and Howard were over and teasing him, or when the two of them were out somewhere and it had just gotten late. They hadn't slept together since she'd told him of her pregnancy, but that didn't bother him. He didn't expect it when he slept at her place; he just wanted to be around her.

He sat up. The covers were thrown back, exposing the empty space beside him. Putting his hand on the bed, he found it cold. Penny had been gone a while. Leonard got up and put on his robe, heading into the kitchen. There was coffee on the stove-Penny had left him some. But where had she gone? There was no note, and it was only eight-thirty in the morning. It couldn't be a coffee run since it was on the stove.

Leonard suddenly had a feeling of where she might be. Turning, he headed into her bedroom and opened her closet. Only one Cheesecake Factory uniform. "Damn it, Penny!" She was always running off to work and it irritated him. "It keeps my mind off of things," was her excuse all the time. As far as Leonard was concerned, there wasn't anything to keep her mind off of. Things were good. She'd accepted some money from him again two weeks ago and had said nothing more of her money troubles. She'd gotten a package a week or so ago, so she was spending money on luxuries. Yesterday she'd had a day off, and Leonard had driven her out to the ocean for a break. She'd smiled and laughed with him as they walked, but she acted distracted…distant. She kept checking her phone and falling silent for long periods of time, staring down at her feet. When he'd tried to ask her what was wrong, she'd simply shaken her head and asked why something had to be wrong. That statement contradicted her implication that she needed to keep her mind off of something.

He went back into the living room and noticed papers on the coffee table. It was an outline of Penny's work schedule. His eyes widened as he read it. Working six days a week at ten hours, and the other day at six? Below that paper were several more, all bills. She was more than a thousand dollars behind in payments? Why hadn't she told him? Leonard rubbed his forehead. God, was Penny in trouble. He couldn't believe that she was working even more than he'd suspected. He worked a lot too, and he'd just assumed that she was having her Mondays off, and sleeping in in the mornings. When she hung out with him and the guys she always looked tired, but he'd attributed that to her condition.

Leonard stood up, thinking frantically. Now that he knew that everything wasn't okay, as she'd been assuring him, he had to do something about it. But what? He would put himself in debt to pay off her loans. He was paid decently enough, but he spent so much on take-out food, comic books….maybe he could get a loan-call his brother, or his father. He'd have to, but first he had to talk to Penny.

**At the Cheesecake Factory**

"French Toast Special," said the man finally, gesturing to himself. Next to him, his five year old son spilled his milk-for the third time. Sighing, Penny went to mop it up. She had to stop herself and take a few deep breaths before grabbing the mop; she was so irritable lately that she was afraid of what she'd do if she didn't calm herself down. Finally feeling better, she mopped up the mess and moved on to the order.

It was nine fifteen, and she'd been here two hours already. She hadn't been able to sleep the night before either, worrying about money. With all her tossing and turning, she was surprised that Leonard hadn't gotten up and left. She wasn't sure why he was staying with her at all-her sex drive and dwindled to nothing since she'd discovered she was expecting. Yet he was still showing up-was he expecting anything, or were the other guys just driving him crazy? Penny liked to think he was coming just to be with her, but she didn't want to flatter herself. She was only four months along and barely showing, but to her she seemed like a fat, undesirable woman.

Penny headed off to the kitchen to place the order. It wasn't hot in the restaurant; most of the time it was very pleasant; but Penny was aware that she was sweating lightly. Her bangs, tucked behind her ears, had stray strands plastered to her neck and forehead. She brushed them back. She would have to deal with it. She only had eight more hours to work today.

"Penny."

Penny didn't hear, continuing on her way, trying to calculate how much money she'd have available next time bills were due.

A hand was placed firmly on her shoulder, and she jumped, whirling around and prepared to drive her fist into the throat of…"Leonard?"

"Can I talk to you?" His hair was disheveled, and his glasses were crooked. He hadn't been awake long.

"Let me turn this in," she said, referencing the orders, "and I'll be right out." Going into the kitchen, she racked her brain with what he wanted, while at the same time wondering why she'd reacted as she did when he touched her. She'd freaked, and been prepared to punch the person. Was she going crazy? Her thoughts quickly returned to Leonard. She had left him coffee, and she'd made sure to dress and exit the apartment quietly. God, why was he here? She needed time to think.

Taking a moment to compose herself, Penny went out to where Leonard was standing. "What is it, Leonard? I'm working."

"Yes." He pulled some papers out of his pocket. Dear lord, she'd left her schedule out. "That is precisely it. Why didn't you tell me…" He stammered. "About…this?"

"Is there a rule that says I have to tell you everything?" She asked.

"No, but I told you that I wanted to-"

"I'm working, Leonard. I have a child to support, in more ways than one. This isn't something I want to talk about right now." Penny motioned to the papers in his hand. "When you go home, put those back where you found them, and stop telling me what to do, all right?"

"Penny, that's not what I was…this is a lot of money."

"Yes. It's a lot of money. Penny is behind on her bills again. Great job, genius. You figured it out. Now I have a job to do."

Marching away, Penny clenched her teeth. She had things to do, loans to pay off. She wasn't going to waste her time talking about it.

Leonard drove home and placed the papers neatly on the coffee table. Sighing, he sank onto the couch and stared at the numbers on them until he'd thought himself into a headache.

It was getting harder and harder to remain calm when Penny snapped. In the past two weeks she'd ceased to be the sweet, loving woman she'd always been and changed into…someone else. Someone who got angry over little things. Someone who was withdrawn, secretive. Someone who Leonard wasn't sure he really liked.

This wasn't the real Penny. Leonard knew the Penny of the pre-pregnancy era and loved her. The real Penny had been taken over-temporarily-by the new one. Leonard was trying, really trying, to get along with pregnant Penny, but it was in fact…trying. One minute everything was her fault, the next nothing was. One minute he was a great guy, the next he had all kinds of faults. Leonard didn't know what to do anymore.

She probably wasn't getting enough sleep because of her neighbors whose floor was her ceiling. They were a father and daughter who loved music and blared it on their radio whenever they were home. She was probably eating cold restaurant leftovers on days that she didn't eat with them.

Getting up, he returned to his apartment and dug through his stuff. He had so many mint condition comic books and action figures-they had to be worth enough to help Penny. Grabbing three at random, he tossed them on his bed. Then he grabbed three more. After a few more rounds, he looked at the action figures for a long moment.

"Some things are more important than toys," he'd told Penny in a dream, long ago. Well, she was, and so was their baby. What caused Penny less stress made Leonard happy. He'd sell these action figures and help her pay off her debts.

The persistent knocking at the door the following day irritated Penny. She had finally managed an hour to herself; one not burdened by work, and was planning on doing her nails and watching T.V. with her feet up. She didn't want a visitor.

Getting up, she opened the door to reveal Leonard. Of course it was Leonard. When was it not? "Hey," she said tiredly, not noticing that he looked as worn down as she.

She cocked her head slightly to the side. "…yes?"

"How are you doing?"

"Why?" She asked. "Do I look like I'm doing badly?"

Leonard frowned. "Look, I'm sorry I came to your work, but I need to talk to you."

"Bout what?" She still wasn't letting him in, standing guard in the doorway with her hands on the threshold to prevent him from advancing on her home.

"About money. Listen, Penny….that's a lot that you owe. You can't make that amount working twenty four seven. I don't know why you've been keeping that from me, but…"

"You don't…what?" Penny interrupted. "Why should I have to tell you about my money? It's not yours! And yes, I owe a lot. It doesn't take a physicist to figure out that I'm in a whole heap of trouble, but congratulations anyway!"

"You know what?" Leonard said angrily. "That's rude!"

"Oooh, God forbid I speak that way to Mr. I-have-so-much-money! Aren't _you_ special!"

"Okay, now you're not being fair at all, Penny. What have I done to you?" He glared at her. "Oh, right, I forgot. I am trying to help you, to make this easier on you. I'm over here all the time so you'll have someone if you need them! I'm skipping work meetings to take you to the doctor! I've given you money, and I just sold some of my mint collectables so you can pay off your debts!" He held an envelope out toward her. "Just take this, tell me what else is bothering you, and cut back on your hours."

"Big hero. Just because you knocked me up doesn't mean that you can just tell me how to deal with it or what hours to work. In fact, you can't tell me _anything_! You're not my father, my husband, or my doctor!"

Leonard flinched at her last words. "I've done so damn much for you!"

"Did I ask you to do _any_ of it?" Penny challenged. "You've given me enough to worry about, okay? So just…go back to the North Pole or something. Go back to your useless, ineffectual experiments. Just…leave me alone, Leonard!"

"You know what? That's _exactly_ what I'm going to do! I'm…I'm _done_!" He was so angry his eyes were watering and his face felt hot. "I'm _done_ with this crap. I'm _done_ going the extra mile for you, and I'm going to go back to my apartment and live my own free life while you stay here and wallow in debt." He stormed across the hall and turned before entering 4A. "I'll tell you this, Penny: my life was a lot less complicated before you came along!"

**This was way longer than I'd expected it to be, but I didn't want it to jump around and I didn't want to bore you all with another chapter of casual, everyday stuff.**


	6. The Mutual Depression

**Don't own anything. Part Six.**

Three days after the fight and Leonard had gone to work, come home, eaten, and gone to sleep. His life took on a mechanical style, doing the same things day in and day out. He didn't feel like going to Halo Night or the comic book store. He didn't feel like doing anything.

He felt horrible. He should never have yelled at Penny. She had enough on her plate without him scooping some stress over the rest and making her eat it all at once. She was his pregnant girlfriend afflicted with mood swings and hormonal changes. She needed him to lean on, physically and emotionally, while she was going through this. She needed someone who didn't lash back and would just ride the rough seas with her. He was the smart one, but that didn't make him worthy of her. Leonard had made it as far as her door twice, but turned before going inside. She hadn't come to apologize. He had pushed her too far, and now she didn't want him in her life anymore. It was understandable. He'd ruined any hopes he had of being with her forever.

**

* * *

**

Now she couldn't get her mailbox open. Of course she couldn't. Penny yanked on the handle in frustration. The key fell out and clattered to the table. "Dammit," she said under her breath, finally yanking open the door. Nothing was going right, not even the little things. Not one thing had gone right since three days ago, when everything had gone very wrong.

She'd tried to hide her debt from Leonard because she hadn't wanted him to know what a failure she was. She'd wanted him to think she was a much better purpose than she really was. And why was it so important that he didn't know all of that stuff? Penny had come to the same conclusion every time she had revisited the situation over the past few days: because she wasn't good enough for him.

She had never been good enough for him. All the times she'd gotten food from them, or entertainment, or a place to stay, she had failed to realize how privileged she was to live next door to him. He'd always been there for her, and she knew she'd have given up on California many times if he hadn't been there to help her. And now she'd gone and let her emotions run away with her, and he'd seen what kind of person she really was…an abysmal disgrace. It was hopeless to try and reconcile. She'd pushed Leonard away, and she didn't blame him for leaving. She wasn't worth it.

She heard the door to the street open but didn't dare turn. If Leonard was the one who'd come inside she wouldn't know what to do. Thankfully, it wasn't.

"Good afternoon, Penny," Sheldon said cheerfully. He came up beside her and opened his mailbox easily. _Go figure_.

"Good afternoon, Sheldon," she said without a hint of the cheeriness as she looked through her mail. Another bill, what else? She was in so much trouble. Not bothering an attempt at small talk with Sheldon, she spun on her heel and headed for the stairs. By the first landing she was feeling a bit dizzy; by the second she became deathly afraid that she would pass out. She leaned against the door to apartment 2A, panting and struggling to catch her breath. God, why couldn't just one thing go right?

"Penny!" Sheldon reached the landing a few seconds behind her. "It occurs to me that if you had not taken the stairs at such a pace, you would not be in your current predicament."

"You think?"

"Yes. All the time." Sheldon looked perplexed. "The average human has more than 50,000 thoughts per hour, and even if most of them aren't voiced it still comes out to-"

"Thank you, Sheldon!"

He gave her another confused look. "Well…you're welcome!" He started for the third floor, mail in hand.

"Wait." Penny was hesitant, but she needed to ask the question, as it was eating at her heart. "Have you ever screwed up something really important to you?" He cocked his head, and Penny stood up straight. She knew he had no emotions, but perhaps there had been a time in his job…"I mean, have you ever single-handedly destroyed something wonderful?"

He thought about it for a split second. "No." Starting for the stairs again, he took a few paces and then turned. "Are you implying that you have, and recently, and are making an attempt to gain my sympathy and or advice?"

She shrugged. "I don't know…I guess so." Sheldon shifted his weight. "Yes, I guess I am."

"Well," Sheldon said, "as I've mentioned on numerous occasions, I have a working knowledge of the important things in the universe. The social sciences are not one of those things, and further more…" he trailed off. "Oh dear God."

Penny strained to hear what he seemed to be listening to. She could hear a faint yipping sound. "Oh, it looks like Mrs. Grossinger's home."

Sheldon's twitch was showing itself, and as the yipping increased he bolted for the stairs. Penny followed him, slowly this time. "Sheldon, please. I need help. Don't you have a story about this type of thing, like from Texas?" It was a long shot, but she looked at the theoretical physicist with what she thought was her last bit of hope.

Sheldon thought for a moment. "Hasn't _your_ family ever encountered a situation similar to this one? I'm sure you would have paid attention to the pointless scenarios around the house. I've always had more important things to do, like unraveling the mysteries of the universe."

Penny sighed. He wasn't going to help her. He probably already had Leonard's side in this. She racked her brain but only managed to come up with a scenario that had began the month before she left for California with Kurt. "Well," she said, half to herself, "I suppose we could do what my friend Mary did. Trade the baby back and forth between homes, so it can spend time with each of us. We wouldn't speak to each other, but Mary and Walter made out fine, I guess…" Thinking of this possibility (and of how much she wished it wouldn't play out this way) Penny went back into her apartment, forgetting that Sheldon was even there.

* * *

Leonard had never believed in déjà vu, but he considered changing his mind. The circumstances were eerie. Hearing the door open, he turned to see Sheldon looking at him very matter-of-factly. "Leonard, I'm moving out."

"Again?"

"No. This time I'm really moving out. This is no secret, Leonard! This is much, much worse!" Leonard watched as Sheldon rushed to his bedroom, probably to grab his emergency bag. He was out again in an instant, bag in hand. "Good-bye, Leonard."

"Sheldon, what the heck? Why are you moving out?"

"I cannot live here in this apartment anymore, not with you and Penny on this floor!"

"Sheldon," Leonard said, "Penny and I are over."

"Exactly!" Sounding desperate, Sheldon ran out the door and slammed it behind him.

Leonard looked at the closed door in confusion. "O…kay…" he said to no one in particular. Great. Now he'd lost his best friend and his girlfriend. God, why couldn't just one thing go right? And with a lousy career life on top of it all, which he could do nothing about. He had no control over anything!

Well…that wasn't all true. There was one thing he could fix. He reached for the phone and dialed. Far away in Texas, Sheldon's Kryptonite answered.

**Finally figured out how to insert that time-passing line, so y'all won't have to deal with "that evening...two days later..." that's done now! **


	7. The Winkle Factor

**This chapter is going to be short, but I felt that there are a few things about Leonard that he still needs to grow out of, so I'm giving him a chance to do that here.**

Sheldon's mother was on her way. As Leonard got to work that morning, she called and said she'd be in that afternoon, around the time he got off work for the day. He made her promise to call when she got in, and she agreed, sounding only slightly concerned about the situation with her son. However, she'd dealt with him many times before, and she probably had many ideas in her head of how to deal with him. As Leonard hung up, he wondered if she had picked up on _his_ obvious lack of concern. It was bothering him that his friend had left, but Penny occupied his thoughts more in both frequency and intensity. Despite his grief over Penny, though, Mary Cooper knew what Sheldon meant to him. He was his best friend, and his decision only added to his hurt. His best friend and Penny were gone. Gone.

His life seemed at a standstill. His morning was spent doing next to nothing-big surprise, he thought ruefully. "I'm a physicist. I thought about stuff." That's what he'd told a girlfriend of his once, and it was true. His morning accomplished nothing. His lunch break began with him sitting at a table by himself, as Raj and Howard were off that day. He wished something would come to take away the pain he felt.

"Hey, Leonard." He looked up into the face of Leslie Winkle. She had her tray in hand. "May I sit here?"

"Oh, hi, Leslie, sure, go ahead." He moved his tray closer to him so she'd have room for hers. "What's up?"

She sat down across from him. "Well, I heard something interesting from Wolowitz via text this morning. I heard the fish that was your relationship with Penny turned its bloated belly up."

Leonard dropped her gaze. "Oh. He told you about that, huh?"

"Yeah. He did compliment you though, on your longest relationship ever. He was surprised that someone like Penny would stay with you so long, and I felt obliged to come over and offer my own congratulations."

"Mmmm." He stared down at his food, poking at it with the plastic fork. Trident. Whatever.

"So anyway, I was thinking that since you're down in the dumps and I'm available, maybe you and I could consider getting together tonight. I've been alone since Wolowitz, and obviously you could use a little rebound stress release."

"Tonight?" Leonard asked, raising his head.

"Well, if you can't wait, my lab is empty this afternoon. Sound-proof room…couch in the corner…well, you've seen it." She smiled. "How about it?"

"I…I don't think so, Leslie," Leonard said, looking her in the eye again.

"Okay, no lab. Tonight then?" She cocked her head and raised a shoulder in an attempt to look coy.

"I'll pass."

She looked surprised. "Really?" There was a long pause as they stared at each other. Then she cocked her head the other direction, this time in confusion. "Why?"

Leonard held her gaze. "I know you're going to tell Wolowitz about this, but I don't care. Go ahead." He took a deep breath. "Let him know this: I am not engaging in rebound with you or anyone else. With Penny I experienced meaningful physical experiences for the first time in my life. With her it grew to be about more than animalistic satisfaction. With her it was different, and I will not get with another woman until I can develop the feelings for her that I felt…feel…for Penny." He stood to go, his tray firmly in his hand. "I'm done with the kind of relationship you are suggesting." He dumped his trash into the garbage and stacked his tray.

As he walked away from the woman he'd used to go to when down in the dumps for hollow comfort, he mumbled under his breath. "I am better than that now."

**Coming up: Mary Cooper arrives and finds out why Sheldon left so quickly. I bet you guys can figure it out, but Leonard missed some key conversations that would make it so much clearer. Mary also discovers that Penny and Leonard are not together…*dramatic music, please...***

**Review! :)**


	8. The Kryptonite Clarification

**I edited this chapter to include the ultrasound.**

**I don't own anything, but if I had three wishes I would.**

"Now you just tell me where you are, Shelly!" Mrs. Cooper ordered. Leonard watched as Sheldon's mother paced in the living room. She'd come as quickly as she could after he phoned and was on the phone with Sheldon when she'd arrived minutes ago. "Now, you listen to me! You're gonna tell me where you are and I'm going to come there, and you're going to be ready to go when I get there!" She sighed. "Okay." Putting a hand over the phone, she addressed Leonard. "He says that he's worried about having a crying baby at the apartment, the silly boy. Putting the phone back up to her face, she took a big breath. "Sheldon, there are no crying babies in your apartment…_I'm standing in it right now_...okay, I'll be there in a half an hour, and you'd better be ready!" She hung up and shook her head. "That fool boy. He's got this idea that you're going to bring a little baby in here and it's going to be making a lot of noise."

"Well…" Leonard hesitated. "That was never the _plan_…I don't know what we're going to do now, but there was…kind of an unspoken agreement that the baby would stay at Penny's."

Mary cocked her head, a smile breaking out. "So he wasn't totally delusional! There _is_ a baby involved in this state of affairs!"

"Yes, ma'am. Penny's due in four and a half months. We'd never discussed living circumstances, but I guess it was assumed by both of us that it would live over there. Sheldon's never expressed any anxiety about crying infants anywhere but in his home and above his head. And he's known about it for ten weeks or so…I can't imagine what set him off."

"He said something about you two trading the baby back and forth. Well, then let's go and get Penny to come over and assure him that the little one won't be staying over here."

"Damn right it won't," Leonard said bitterly.

"I beg your pardon?"

Leonard shifted uncomfortably. "Oh…we're not together anymore."

Mary's face expressed her concern. "May I ask why not?"

"We had a fight. It was all my fault. She was a little moody…worried about bills and I'm sure other things, and when she got a little irritable I lost it and told her off." He shook his head mournfully. "That was four days ago. We haven't spoken since. Actually, I haven't even seen her since, which wouldn't be unusual if I was working nights, or if she was visiting her family in Nebraska…which has happened a few times. Actually, I've only had to night work once, but…" Realizing he was rambling again, he trailed off, looking at his feet.

"Did you try to apologize?" Mary was all ready to leave and go get her son, but her motherly concern for everyone was keeping her there. "Did you two try to talk it out?"

"I'm not going to go over there and ask her to take me back. I can't stand to hear her reject me." Leonard sat in his chair and picked up his mug. "She'll be happier without me to get in her way and make this harder on her. I'm not going to jeopardize her happiness."

Mary looked at him for a long moment. "You look tired, Leonard. Get some sleep. I'm going to get Sheldon."

With that she was gone, heading down the stairs to pick up Sheldon from the comic book store. When she arrived, the man at the counter pointed him out in the corner. "He's built a nest," the man said. Clearly he knew Sheldon well. She came to him and talked to him, and finally Sheldon agreed to come with her. However, he wanted a barbecue bacon cheeseburger, so Mary dropped him off at the Cheesecake Factory to meet his friend Howard, promising to return for him in an hour. She sped away, stopped for a moment at a bakery, and hit the gas again, making good time getting back to the apartment building. She had others she had to help.

* * *

Penny had never felt more confused about what she _should be feeling_. Lying on this table, the gel on her stomach and the hospital staff beginning to run the ultrasound, so many emotions were running through her. She was nervous about seeing her baby for the first time, because she'd read that once a mother had actually seen her developing child, she became more attached to it, and if something happened it would be harder to deal with, and Penny had never done well with fear. She was terrified about the money that this procedure would cost. Most of all, she was sad that Leonard wasn't going to be there when the image of their baby came up on the screen. She'd wanted to invite him, wanted to tell him where she was going, but she'd been too afraid to go over and see him, or even call him…afraid of what he'd say, or of what she'd do if her eyes fell on him.

"Okay," said the technical assistant-who's name tag said "Kristin"-smiling and pointing up at the screen. "Just wait a moment."

Penny looked up at the screen. It began to come into focus, slowly but surely, the mixing shades of gray began to take shape as Kristin moved the transducer over her stomach. Then the image was clear. "Would you look at that!" Said Kristin. "He or she is cooperating perfectly!"

Penny's hand flew to her mouth and she gasped, tears coming to her eyes. The image on the screen showed the baby almost perfectly in profile, with the head tilted slightly. A hand came into view, moving up to the baby's mouth. "Is it sucking it's thumb?"

"Certianly looks like it," Kristin said. "Now, do you want to know what it is? Because that last image gave me a pretty good idea."

"No," Penny said. This she was sure of; it was one of the few things in her life she was sure about. "I want it to be a surprise."

"Okay, then." Kristin moved the transducer slightly. "There's it's back, and legs are curled up right there-oh! Moving a bit. Can you feel that?"

"No." Penny placed her palm on the side of her stomach, away from the gel. Worry flowed through her. "Is that bad?"

"Not at all. I can see that it's moving around a little, once the kicks and punches and whatever other exercises the little one is going to be performing become stronger, then you'll be able to feel them. Everything looks good right now. Don't worry."

Penny was relieved. The procedure lasted several minutes more, while Kristin checked bone structure and developing organs, and Penny's eyes were glued to the screen. This was her baby-the life inside of her that she could actually _see_…and she couldn't stop the tears from forming in her eyes. She couldn't remember ever loving something at first sight before.

* * *

Penny sat on the couch, a bottle of alcohol on the table, unopened. Normally when she was upset, she drank, but this time she couldn't. She knew that, but she also knew she wanted to numb the emotional pain she was feeling. She reached for the bottle, and then snatched her hand back. No. She couldn't do it. Her hand went protectively to her stomach. The fight with Leonard wasn't worth jeopardizing their baby's health. Now that she'd seen it, she was almost afraid of eating anything, or drinking anything, for fear of hurting it.

Penny looked at the pictures of the ultrasound that Kristin had given her. Three of them-one showing the baby in profile from chest up, a second one of the little feet, and another of the hands up by the mouth in the thumb-sucking position. Each time she looked at them she loved the baby more…but at the same time she thought about how the baby's father hadn't been there to see the live video.

She still felt horrible about what she had done. She had blown up, said hateful things, and Leonard slipped out of her life. And why? Because she was frustrated and tired and moody. Because it was easier to yell than it was to talk about what was bothering her, which definitely wasn't Leonard. He stayed with her when she was feeling sick. He had driven her to work and held her during dizzy spells. When she was having trouble breathing he calmed her down. He'd given up every cent she'd asked him for. He had even learned to cook a few meals so she could eat healthier. He had made the past few months so much easier on her, and she hadn't realized it until it was too late. She'd been selfish, and now Leonard was gone. He'd move on to another woman, one who gave as much as she took. One who was rational and…maybe a little bit pretty. Certainly she wouldn't look as gross as Penny felt she looked now, with circles under her eyes and the growing bulge in her abdomen.

She pressed her index fingers to her eyes in an effort to block tears. How could she have been so stupid? How could she go and throw away the one person who truly meant anything to her? She'd never been good at expressing her feelings; she just bottled them up and went to ultrasounds alone and came home still afraid to tell Leonard what he meant to her. God, was she bad at telling people what she thought! If she was, she would have gone to the man who lived in 5B and asked him to have his daughter keep the radio down. She was listening to her album by the Fray, and Penny didn't need to hear a man lamenting over his mistakes and wondering where he had gone wrong. Penny chucked her empty cup at the ceiling. It hit with a terrific crash, and shards of glass rained down. Luckily she'd thrown it at an angle, and the glass came nowhere near her. She knew damn well where she went wrong. She stood up and went to the window, looking out at the other buildings, trimmed with thin, green lawns that were swallowed by city streets. In Nebraska you didn't see that many cars in a month.

Nebraska. For the first time Penny seriously thought about going back home, abandoning her dreams and fleeing back to the safety and security, if not the support, of her family. Her sister would let her stay with them, and she'd get to spend some time with her nephew. Staring blindly out the window, Penny contemplating leaving.

She went back to the couch. She lived here now. Apartment 4B had been her home for too long, and even if Leonard no longer loved her, she loved him too much to be far apart.

Penny's hand rested on her stomach. How would she get through the next few months? How could she pick a name for their baby without Leonard there to share in the process? How would she be able to give birth without him at her side? Forget the upcoming months, what about _the rest of her life_? How could she live sixty more years not being loved? Sure, she'd love the baby-she did already-but not having Leonard was almost too much to bear.

There was a knock at the door. Penny stood up quickly and walked to it, not wanting a visitor. It was Mary Cooper, Sheldon's mom. Easily covering her disappointment with genuine surprise, she smiled. "Oh. Hi, Mrs. Cooper. Come on in."

Mary stepped inside. "I brought you a pie," she said. "I always ate this when I was expecting," she said, taking it over to the table and unwrapping it from the tinfoil.

Penny sat on one of the bar stools. "Thank you, Mrs. Cooper. This looks great." Part of the gesture made her feel even worse-a pie was what her mother had always congratulated her with. And her mother was time zones away.

Mary took out a plate for her, looking at the pile of dirty dishes next to the sink. "You haven't been eating with the guys?"

Penny traced the bottom of the plate with her finger. "I had…other things to do." Mary just watched her. "I'm sure Leonard told you."

"Told me?" Mary looked at Penny with concern.

Penny sighed. Part of her wanted to talk about it; let it all out and tell someone, anyone, how she felt. Another part of her didn't want to say anything, because what if she was right and her chance to be with Leonard was over? Saying it would only make it seem real. On the other hand, Mary was a mother herself, and maybe she'd have advice. "We fought. It was all my fault. I was…unkind to him. All he wanted was to ensure that I was happy and healthy and safe. I never wanted…I didn't mean a thing I said."

"Did you tell him that?"

"No, and I don't deserve him back. He deserves someone who is smart, funny, and….pretty Someone who won't take their anger out on him and tell him he's worthless." She wiped her eyes. "Someone…better than me."

"What if you just talked to him?" Mary suggested. "I'm sure he'd understand. Leonard is a very caring man."

Penny sighed, holding a water bottle in both hands. "I just…" she tried, blinking back tears. "I'm afraid of what would happen." Mary said nothing, just watched her. Penny sniffed. "I love him, and…I don't know if he feels the same way."

Leonard looked up as Mary entered the apartment, a meek looking Sheldon in tow. He went straight to his room and closed the door quietly. "Problem solved?" Leonard asked, trying to sound cheerful.

"That one." Mary came and sat down in Sheldon's spot, turning left so she was facing Leonard. "What I'm going to do with you…I don't know."

"Me?" He toyed with his pen. "But I don't have any problem!"

"How's your little baby doing today? Does Penny feel okay?" She gave him a moment before responding. "That's what I thought. There _is_ a problem with that."

"With all due respect, ma'am," Leonard said, "I'm doing this for her."

"Leonard, darling, you are a smart man but even my Shelly's been wrong before," Mary said. "If you want to be with that girl than go over there and talk to her. You're not doing yourself any good moping around this place. Life's short, go for broke."

"_Broke_ is right," Leonard said under his breath as Mary went to her son. "Sure, I'll go over there, but I'll return just as I came: Penniless."

**I am a firm believer that Mrs. Cooper will **_**always**_** know what to do. I didn't give a lot of detail into her conversations with Sheldon because I don't think that I could do that successfully, so sorry if anyone was waiting for that. Next Leonard finally goes over to talk to Penny.**


	9. The Snowflake Apology

**Thanks to all my reviewers so far, it's greatly appreciated!**

Penny lay on the couch, her head on the right armrest, and the now empty plate on the table beside the still unopened wine bottle. She'd been curled up like this since Sheldon's mother had left, crying. She was happy to have told someone how she felt, but it didn't change the fact that she'd gone a step too far and chased off the man she loved. "You're such a dumbass," she said to herself, hugging a pillow to her chest. She reached for a red velvet bag sitting by the bottle and picked it up, sliding out the glass slide that surrounded a perfectly preserved flake of snow. She held it between her hands. It pained her to look at it, but she felt as if she had to. "It'll last forever," Leonard had told her. That line she'd repeated to herself endless times, hoping it was a metaphor for her and him. Now that she was alone, she clutched it with desperation, missing the romantic feeling that the mere sight of the snowflake used to give her.

There was a knock at her door. She ignored it. She didn't want to see anybody right now. When Mary Cooper left, she'd changed into sweats, put up her hair, and curled up. She needed rest, but it wouldn't come. She was feeling too much regret and guilt to sleep.

The knock came again. "Penny?" said someone in the hall. "Can I come in?"

It was Leonard! For a moment Penny thought she really was asleep, lost in a dream. It took her a moment to respond, and she sat up, slipping the snowflake into its case and setting it back on the table. "Yes."

The door opened, and Leonard appeared. "Hey," he said. There was an awkward pause, while they looked at each other. Penny's lip trembled seeing him in her apartment again. She wanted to run to him, to wrap her arms around him and hold him tightly, begging him to forgive her. But she remained where she was, imaging various scenarios in her head, all ending with him leaving forever.

Leonard came and sat on the left end of the couch. Penny sat up and kept looking at him, wanting to say so much. She finally opened her mouth. "Leonard, I was-"

"Penny." He looked at her, and then down at his hands. "Penny…I...I need to apologize." Her eyed widened. _Apologize for what?_ "I know that this has been rough on you. I…I know that I acted…erroneously by yelling at you. I didn't mean to hurt you, I…I should have been more understanding."

Penny's jaw dropped. He thought it was _his_ fault? "No…Leonard…you don't understand!" She said, still crying. "It wasn't your fault! I was the one that acted so…" she struggled to come up with a word and blurted the first one that came to mind, lame as it was. "_Stupid_. You've been…just so…so great. You didn't deserve anything I said to you." Her voice cracked, and Leonard looked at her with concern. He didn't reach out to comfort her, shifting awkwardly in his seat. Penny sniffed. "I'm the one that needs to apologize. Please just forgive me." She didn't want to cry, but at the same time she was desperate to get it out, to fall on her knees and beg, plead for Leonard to take her back. But she didn't want to burden him; have him take her in because he felt pity for the single mother who couldn't afford the child she carried.

Leonard looked at her. He had that confused look on his face, the sweet, innocent one that drove her wild. "You're really…not mad at me?"

She had to make him see. "No! Leonard…it was my fault, all of it. I have no reason to be mad at you. You're the one that should be mad." She wiped her eyes. "You're the one that should want to…walk away."

"I couldn't do that."

She pushed stray hair from her face. "I wouldn't blame you," she said bitterly.

Leonard hesitated. "Penny," he said, looking down, then back up at her. "You…" he shifted in his seat, alternating the eye contact. His eyes fell on the red pouch on the table, and as recognition flickered in his eyes his voice gained strength. He held her gaze. "You mean…everything to me. I love you."

His words sent a shock through her; she felt a warm rush through her body. He'd said it, said what she'd longed to hear so much and feared she never would. Her eyes welled up with relieved tears.

"Come here." Leonard reached an arm out and slid it around her shoulders as she scooted closer, using his other arm to pull her close. She visibly shook at his contact, closing her eyes, sliding her arms around him and nestling her head into the crook of his neck. "Leonard," she sobbed in relief, "I love you too. I hated you not being here with me." She was so happy to be with him, to be in his arms, that she was sure Leonard could feel her shaking. "Thank you for coming back."

He rested his head on top of where hers lay on his shoulder. "I thought I'd lost you forever," he whispered into her hair in a choked voice, and Penny could tell how close_ he _was to crying. She held him tighter in response, and then pulled back, her arms still encircling his waist.

He looked questioningly at her, his eyes moist. She leaned forward and gave him the sweetest kiss she knew how to give. It lasted several seconds before she pulled away and buried her head on his shoulder again. She was feeling sleepy; she hadn't rested well in days.

"Penny?" She felt Leonard's arm stroke hers. "Do you want to go to sleep?"

"That depends," she murmured sleepily.

He rubbed her arm absentmindedly. "On what?"

"Will you keep holding me?" She raised her head to look at him, knowing that he'd be smiling. He was. Getting up, he took her hand and helped her to her feet. Smiling, she squeezed his hand as they walked to her room.

Leonard and her parted at the foot of her bed and got into it on the respective sides. Leonard lay on his left side, facing Penny, and she crawled in next to him. He wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled up to him, wanting to be as close as possible. She was asleep by the fifth Mississippi.


	10. The Beyoncé Consideration

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own anything, part…dang it, what chapter am I on?**

**Thank you reviewers…all the praise for this story is really blowing me away…thanks a **_**lot!**_** I hope I don't disappoint you with this or any future chapters!**

Leonard awoke the next morning before Penny. He came out of his slumber slowly, not able to distinguish the exact moment he became awake. Penny was still cuddled up to him, her head against his chest and her hair falling around her shoulders. Angling his head to see her face, Leonard noticed that she wore a tranquil expression, and her relaxed lips formed a small smile.

He remembered her face when he'd come to her the previous evening. It defined stress, despair, and exhaustion, and it pained him to know that he had been the cause. Knowing that he'd avoided her for days while she struggled with the same misery he had made him regret with all his heart staying away. But he couldn't possibly have known, and he took great comfort in the face that her current peacefulness was also caused by him.

When Leonard had gone across the hall the night before, he had expected another argument, a rejection, leaving him forever dejected. At best, he'd expected to simply work out a plan for their son or daughter, once it was born. He'd assumed that Mary's insistence that he talk with Penny had been a part of her plan to help Sheldon. The last thing he'd expected was to see Penny's tear-stained face looking at him with an expression that Leonard couldn't name. That had moved him to go ahead with an apology. When he'd seen the snowflake on her coffee table it had touched him, reminded him of the moment he'd caught it and preserved it with impeccable results. Seeing it in front of her had allowed him to believe that maybe, just maybe, it would all be okay. He'd "gone for broke" then, and knew he'd done the right thing following Mary's advice at the smile on Penny's face when he'd said the magic words: "I love you."

Penny stirred slightly, shifting her weight. A sound of contentment escaped her slightly parted lips. She slid her right arm around him, murmuring his name, and then was still once more, her breaths coming slow and easy. Leonard kissed the top of her head lightly. He was filled with so much happiness at the knowledge that she loved him. Despite the presence of her tears and of the snowflake, he'd still harbored feelings of doubt that she'd reciprocate his feelings. But she had. Knowing that the woman who was carrying his baby-the woman he loved, loved him too was the greatest feeling that Leonard had ever had.

His left arm was numb; Penny's shoulder had been resting on it all night. He wanted to free the limb but was afraid she'd wake up, and she needed her rest. Slowly, inch by inch, Leonard eased his arm free and shifted it slightly higher on the pillow. Mission accomplished: Penny remained in her serene state, the smile still evident on her face.

He wanted more mornings like this, waking up holding Penny close. They hadn't even done anything the night before, or even in the past several months, but it was enough to be with her. He wanted to be with her for the rest of his life, and not just as her baby's father. Leonard's mind wandered to something that he'd heard from Raj after a fight with Penny. It had been an offhand remark, intended as an insult, but it had struggled up from the place deep in Leonard's memory where he'd stashed it. If Penny had woken up at that moment and asked him what was on his mind, she'd probably have been surprised to hear "Raj." But it wasn't Raj, per se, that he was thinking about. It was what he'd said, and how possible the statement now seemed.

"Like my girl Beyoncé says: if you like it, put a ring on it."

**I know that was short, but I'd spent the last chapter in Penny's head, and before we move on with the timeline I thought we should spend some time in Leonard's.**


	11. The Canada Goose Paradigm

**I STILL OWN NOTHING.** **Wish I did, but if rights to this show were ever available there'd be a long, hard fight to the death for them…much like Sheldon's queen bee analogy. Or maybe not, since he was "just talking about bees." **

**Anyway…**

"You know what? After not seeing you for five days, I can finally notice you're showing."

Penny was in front of the mirror brushing her hair. She looked down. She was wearing a pink tank top and jean shorts. With the fit of her top, she could see the slight bulge in her stomach. She looked up at Leonard, who was standing in the threshold, leaning against the wall, and grinned.

Leonard came over and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "It looks like the morning sickness is gone."

"It's been a week," Penny agreed. Suddenly her face changed, and she pulled away from Leonard and spun around, dropping on the ground next to the toilet.

"Are you okay?" Leonard asked.

Penny's shoulders shook. She felt Leonard's hands on them. Turning, she looked up at him and stopped trying to contain her laughter. "I got you!"

He looked at her in surprise. Penny continued laughing, and finally he relented and laughed himself, pulling her up. "Can you really tell?" She asked, looking down again. Ironic, she had hated the slightly noticeable change just yesterday, and today she was proud of it.

He looked at her abdomen. "Yep. Right…there." He touched her stomach, and they smiled at each other. "God, I missed you," she said, pulling her hair into the style she used for work. "I wish I didn't have to go in today." There was the irony again. Just yesterday she was working all she could.

"I wish you didn't either. It's been so long since we did anything together. You haven't even eaten with us in over a week."

"I'll come over tonight and help you guarantee Sheldon that we won't be dumping the baby on him," she laughed. "I certainly wasn't expecting Mrs. Cooper to come and visit me yesterday! I should have figured there was a Sheldon problem."

"He's a piece of work all right…she came to see you?" Leonard cocked his head.

"Yeah. It was kinda weird, now that I think about it, but if Sheldon told her about his fears of crying infants, then I guess she could infer that I was pregnant."

Leonard couldn't hide his surprised expression. "Well, I explained it to her when she heard Sheldon's explanation for leaving and questioned his sanity."

Penny frowned. "Did you tell her we were fighting?"

"I…well…I downplayed it," he said defensively.

She sighed. "You told our personal business to your roommate's mother…"

"Penny…"

She held up a finger to silence him. "Who took it upon herself to visit me. She knew I was upset…"

"And then came to talk to me," Leonard said thoughtfully, "hinting that I should go talk to you…"

"Knowing that we both missed each other and would make up!" Penny said, connecting the final piece to the puzzle. She and Leonard smiled at each other. "I'm so glad she did," Penny said. "I missed being able to talk to you."

"Yeah, me too," Leonard said. "Listen, Penny…"

Penny was listening, but what she heard was much more annoying than Leonard.

_Knock knock knock _"Penny?" _Knock knock knock _"Penny?" _Knock knock knock _"Penny?"

"Ugh!" Penny groaned, striding out of the bathroom and flinging open the apartment door. Sheldon stood there with his arm across his throat. "Yeah, you'd better. It's nine thirty."

"Is Leonard there?" He asked, backing up a step.

"What do you want, Sheldon?" Leonard asked from behind Penny.

"You called my mother. Again."

"Yes." Leonard crossed his arms. "I did."

Sheldon waited, as if he'd expected a longer response. "Well…why?"

"Because you ran off and I didn't know what to do." Leonard said. "I knew she could help."

"Well, I appreciate your consideration, now Penny; can you promise that I won't have to deal with crying infants in my apartment, as my mother has implied?"

"Yes, Sheldon, the baby and I will stay here," she said quietly.

"Thank you. Leonard, my mother sent me here to inform you that she will drive me to work and you can remain here with your mate." He paused, then turned and went abruptly back across the hall.

"Wow." Penny said when he was gone. "Now I'm your 'mate.' Like we're some kind of sex driven animal couple." She shook her head.

"It really depends on the context he uses the word 'mate' in. Some animals, like deer and penguins, only spend time with the opposite gender for reproductive purposes, and then they separate and may never even cross paths again. That could have been us, if the metaphor was used while we were apart this past week." He hesitated before continuing. "But he could compare us to other animals…such as the Canada Goose. They follow the typical American family. They mate for life." He looked at Penny. "That could be us, too, you know. If that's what you want."

She looked at him in confusion, her expression much like when he'd asked her out following her breakup with Mike. This time, though, what she thought he was suggesting was much more serious. "Are you…asking me to marry you?"

He shifted awkwardly. "I don't…I don't have a ring, or anything, but…I could get one…"

She kissed him, putting her arms around his neck. "When the baby's born, and when neither of us owes anyone any money, you'd better get me the prettiest ring you can find!"

A small smile began to form on his face. "Are you…agreeing to marry me?"

"I am agreeing to marry you and be with you for the rest of my life," she affirmed. Her forehead rested against his, and they smiled at each other. "And isn't that so like you, to propose using scientific metaphors."

"Not very romantic, huh?" he asked, the smile fading.

"Don't you worry," Penny said. "The answer's still yes!" She kissed him again, and they held each other close. "I love you so much," she whispered into his ear. "I can't wait for us to be a family."

Just then they could hear Sheldon and his mother getting ready to leave for work. Penny pulled away from Leonard and went to her apartment door. "Mrs. Cooper!" She called.

Mary poked her head around the stairwell. "Yes?"

Leonard came up beside Penny. They looked at each other, and then back at Sheldon's mother. "Thank you," Penny said. "Thank you so much."

Mary smiled knowingly. "You two remember to enjoy your baby. These will be the best years of your life, no matter how trying they are."

"We will. Thank you," Leonard said.

Mary smiled and headed downstairs. Penny watched her go, then slid a hand up to Leonard's chest. "I have something to show you."

"Oh yeah?" He asked, smiling at her. "What's that?" Penny smiled and turned around, going through her living room and to the table. She picked up a manila envelope and handed it to Leonard. He looked at her in confusion. "Are you being summoned for Jury Duty?"

"Just open it," she said in singsong, sitting on the edge of the table.

"Okay," he said, grinning at her. He clearly had no idea what was in the envelope, but he'd told Penny many times that her smile was contagious. He undid the clasp and reached inside. It took him about half of a second to realize what he was holding. "Oh…my gosh." He handed Penny the envelope and held the photograph up. She could see that it was the thumb-sucking picture. "Penny, this…" his mouth was hanging slightly open, his eyes slightly moist. "This is…"

"Our baby," she said, placing a hand on her stomach. She held out the envelope. "There's two more."

Leonard took them, leaning against the back of the couch as he slid them out. A hand went to his mouth. "I'm about to start crying like an idiot." He stood and stepped toward Penny, touching her stomach tenderly. She looked down at it, then back up to him, meeting his loving gaze.

"I think it's going to be okay now," he said. She stepped forward and slid her arms around him, giving her silent agreement.


	12. The Sheldon's Spot Commiseration

**Time is going to pass a little more quickly now. Chapters 5-11 were all in a matter of a week…or nine days…somewhere in there. This is a week or two later, and after the break is another few days. To clear up any confusion about timeline where it wasn't stated, the doctor's appointment that they are referring to at the end of the chapter is the six-month checkup.**

**I still, and forever, own nothing. *Sighs***

Leonard was sitting on the couch, reading a comic book, when Penny burst into his apartment, all smiles. "Hey, guess what?"

"What?" In the past week her mood had gotten a great deal better. She was sleeping well, and eating healthy, and Leonard took her on walks in the evenings to make sure she was exercises. He even read some of her expectant mother book so he'd know what to expect in the coming months.

He put down the comic book and stood up. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Penny, what is it?"

She pulled back, grinning. "Guess!"

"Um…we won the lottery?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Guess again."

"How about…how about you just tell me?" Leonard said. "I give up."

"Come on, you didn't even guess!" She shook her head. "It's payday. Look!" She put a paper in his hand. It was a bill. "We can afford that, Leonard! I can go back to my regular hours, and we'll still have enough to pay this!"

Leonard grinned. Penny's good moods were contagious. "That's great!"

"I can't remember the last time I felt worry-free," Penny said happily. Leonard could tell she really was free of stress. She glowed with joy, and the smile on her face was priceless. "I'm actually…and finally…happy about this: the baby, our upcoming wedding…speaking of which, we're gonna have to tell the guys."

"Soon." Leonard hugged her, and she sighed contentedly, leaning into him. Then she looked up. "Do you feel that?"

He nodded. "Are you hungry? That's nothing new."

She laughed. "That's not my _stomach_ stomach, Leonard," she said. "The baby's moving."

"Really?" He backed up and looked at her midsection suspiciously. "Is it still…doing that?"

Penny took his hand and planted it toward the right and down slightly. He waited, and then felt it, a flutter against his hand. A grin spread across his face, and he looked up at Penny, who was smiling as well. "Cool!"

She laughed. "I'm glad this didn't happen when we were mad at each other."

"We need to celebrate," he said. "Anything you want to eat? Anyplace you want to go?"

Penny licked her lips. "We never got to make out in Sheldon's spot."

He looked over at the cushion. Howard, Raj, and Sheldon were all working today. If he locked the door…it'd at least give them a warning. He grinned at Penny. "Sounds good to me."

* * *

"Man, you're no fun when things are going right for you." Howard complained. He and Raj were trying to put Leonard and Penny's relationship down, but Leonard couldn't be fazed, even without Penny there to help defend them.

"You can't insult me anymore, Howard," Leonard said. "Because there is nothing wrong with my relationship with Penny!"

"Are you sure?" Raj asked. "When was the last time you slept together? I mean, got physical?"

Leonard scoffed. "That doesn't mean anything. She's pregnant."

"Ooh…still a bad sign, dude. What if she feels like she isn't desirable and ditches you for some poor, lonely man who will make her feel special?"

"Hey, you may be on to something there," Howard said. "Perhaps I should pay her a visit tonight."

"She wouldn't have you," Leonard said. He lifted his chin. "We're engaged."

"Engaged in what? Certainly not sexual activities," Raj jabbed, glancing at his best friend.

Howard was looking at Leonard open mouthed. "No, hang on, I think the man is serious!" He stood. "Do you mean you and Penny are…"

"Yep," Leonard said, smiling.

"No way, dude!" Raj said, looking wistfully at Howard.

"We never even got a shot at her," Howard lamented. "And hey, if they broke the bed back when they started going together…" He whistled. "We're missing out!"

"You're disgusting, Howard, if that's all you think of."

Three heads shot in the direction of the voice. Penny was standing in the doorway. Her eyes shot through Howard, her head angled the way it was when she was angry. Her back was stiff and straight as she glared at Howard, her posture making her stomach look larger than it was. She glared another moment, and then looked over at Leonard and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey," he said.

She came over and threw her arms around him. "How's my little homunculus?"

Leonard gave her a playful glare. "He's hanging in there."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Have you told them our news?"

Raj was nodding frantically. He stood and went over to Leonard and Penny. They looked at him while his jaw shook. He gathered himself, and then spoke in his high-pitched voice. _"__Congratulations!__" _

"Awww, thank you, Raj," Penny said, giving him a hug. He smiled at Wolowitz, giving him the thumbs up.

"Are you sure you know what you're getting into?" Howard asked. "His mother doesn't make a hell of a brisket…"

"His mother doesn't wash his clothes, make his food, and monitor his social activity," Penny pointed out.

Howard shifted in his seat and averted his eyes. "So is there any food?" Penny asked. "I'm so hungry I could eat…well, whatever it is you got!"

"Sheldon's bringing the food later," Leonard said, "but there are muffins on the counter." Penny got one, and brought another for Raj, who began frantically waving once she got to the basket. She settled into her chair and laughed as Howard glanced at the door, and then put his feet in Sheldon's spot. "Man, is that spot getting abused today," Leonard said out of the corner of his mouth."

"I almost feel bad for poor Sheldon," she whispered back. "Kissing and Wolowitz' feet!" Leonard smirked.

Leonard smirked. "What he don't know don't hurt him. His poor spot, though…" Leonard looked over at the left end of the couch, wearing a fake sympathetic look. Penny couldn't hold back a tiny laugh, which caught Wolowitz' attention. He looked confused, misinterpreting her laugh as one at him and not the couch.

"So…now that you two have decided to tie the knot…" He said, looking as though he felt he had to make conversation and get her insulting thoughts off of him. "What happens now? You know, when's the big day?"

"It'll be after the baby's born," Penny said. "Our priority right now is to be ready for him or her."

Raj whispered something to Howard. "Never thought of that," he said. "You guys don't know what it is?"

"No…" Leonard looked at Penny. "We've decided to wait."

"Yeah," Penny said. "Keep it a surprise." She put what was left of her muffin down. "I do have an appointment tomorrow, and my doctor will probably ask if I want to know again. It'll be no, of course."

"He-he-he, your doctor…he-he-he…" Leonard chuckled, taking a piece of the muffin.

"What's wrong with him?" Howard didn't have to translate for Raj; he was thinking the same thing.

"My doctor's name is Emily Pepper," Penny said.

Howard and Raj looked at each other in confusion. Then Raj whispered something to Howard. "Oh, Dr. Pepper…that's good." Raj whispered something else. "Yes, Raj, I get it now…no, I'm not stupid, stop calling me that!"

"A new lover's quarrel," Leonard joked.

Raj whispered something else to Howard. "They know we're just friends; I don't need to reiterate that every time!"

"So…is your day off tomorrow?" Penny asked Leonard, trying to drown out the bickering across from them.

"Yep."

"So you can come with me to my doctor's appointment?"

Leonard nodded. "The first one I'll have been to. I'm excited."

She laughed. "Oh, don't be, it's not that interesting." She wiped her mouth where there was a crumb. "He asks me questions, lets me ask him questions, and takes our pulses. Then I make another appointment and go home." She shook her head. "I guarantee it won't be interesting."

"Not for him, anyway. Can I come?" Wolowitz looked suddenly interested in their conversation and very uninterested in his argument with Raj.

"No," Leonard and Penny said at the same time. Wolowitz sighed.


	13. The Something Leonard Clumsiness

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Just for clarification, I am NOT among those who believe that Raj and Howard are gay. I love when they fight like a couple, and Dr. Hofstadter's comment about them was hilarious, but it's a similar situation as the scenes between Sheldon and Penny-neither S/P or R/H is going to happen, so that's why I think it's funny. Sorry if I confused anyone; in this story, Raj and Howard are just friends!**

Early the next morning Leonard awoke to Penny tossing and turning. "What's the matter?"

"Leg cramps," she said. "I get them sometimes. You're supposed to stretch before going to bed, and I forgot." She pulled herself into a sitting position. "So now I got to deal with it."

"Me, too," he said pointedly. She looked confused, and then realized that her attempts to get comfortable had woke him up. She gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

"It's okay," he said. "It's nearly time for me to get up anyway. I have to drive Sheldon to work before your appointment, and he needs to get in early and sign up for the laser before Kripke gets to it."

Penny swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "I'm about ready to get up, too. I can never sleep well before an appointment."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "I'm just…always afraid that something will be wrong. With the baby or with me. Like lately I've been dropping things a lot, and I feel clumsy, not just with my stomach growing, but in my hands, too. The book I have says that clumsiness is 'normal' but it doesn't say why, and the internet is full of people who have no idea what they're talking about, so I don't trust them."

"Have you a reason to think that anything's wrong?" Leonard asked her. She shook her head. "Everything has been perfect so far, at least with the baby. I was a little worried about three weeks ago when I hadn't felt it move yet, but I called Dr. Pepper after it happened last week, and she said, 'better late than never.' Other than that, everything's been in the norm." She smiled. "Though she has five kids and knew what they were before they were born. She's not pressuring me to find out, but I can tell she thinks I'm crazy for not wanting to know."

"Well, it would be easier to find out names if we knew, but I'd rather wait, too."

Penny nodded. "That's an unknown that I don't mind. We are going to have to have names ready though. Do you want it to be named after you, if it's a boy?"

He was surprised that names had never crossed his mind. He'd never even referred to the baby as _him, her, he,_ or _she_ at any point in the past. In his list of things that they'd have to prepare before its birth, he'd never thought about naming. And now Penny was suggesting they name it after him, should it turn out to be a boy. "I…I haven't thought about it, actually," he said, "but wouldn't that get confusing?" She shrugged. "It'd be named after my little homunculus! I wouldn't have a problem with it, of course, but would you?"

"We could go with Leonard as a middle name," he said. "Not as a first. I mean, it has _nerd_ in it, after all."

"I'm surprised you wouldn't want to name it Spock or Obi-Wan," she said jokingly.

"_I'm_ surprised you know who Spock and Obi-Wan are," he retorted. "If it's a girl, I think Mary should be the middle name, after Mrs. Cooper. She helped us so much, you know."

Penny nodded. "We're in such a great position. If it's a boy, it'll be Something Leonard, and if it's a girl, Something Mary. Aren't first names supposed to be the most important?" She got up and headed for the bathroom, running dialogue to herself. "'Oh, hello, what a cute baby. What's its name?' 'Oh, it's Something.' 'Something? Am I supposed to guess?' 'No, Something is its actual name. Something Leonard Hofstadter.'"

Leonard rolled over and put a pillow over his head. "Shut up!" He groaned, hearing Penny laugh through the bathroom door. "Something Leonard," he mumbled to himself. "The things we come up with."

* * *

"Hello, Penny," said Dr. Emily Pepper, walking through the door. She was an African American woman in her mid-thirties, and she was tall but thin, with a confidant expression on her young-looking face. Leonard was a little intimidated, but Penny had told him that her doctor was a really nice woman.

"Hello, Doctor," Penny said, sitting in her gown on the edge of the examination table. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm very well, thank you. It's more important how you are feeling." She reached for the clipboard on the desk, smiling at Leonard. "And you are?"

"He's the father," Penny said. "Dr. Leonard Hofstadter."

"Pleasure," Dr. Pepper said, shaking Leonard's hand. She had a hard grip and a very brisk, professional handshake, and Leonard was sure he'd be cowering in the corner if it wasn't for the praise Penny heaped on the obstetrician. "So, Penny, you called about ten days ago to report fetal movement?"

"Yes," Penny said. "Definite. And he or she has been very active since then."

"That's good. Now could I have you slide on your back, please?" Penny obliged, and Dr. Pepper took the clipboard and marked things off as she did the examination, asking Penny questions as she did so.

"Now, how is your dizziness?" Dr. Pepper asked. "Any better?"

"It's not quite as bad, unless I walk too fast for too long. My back and legs have been bothering me more, though." She described where the pain was and when it had been occurring.

"That's all normal. Have you cut back on your workload?"

"Yes, I'm working four days a week now."

"Good…good…" Dr. Pepper said. She checked Penny's heart rate, and then the baby's. "Everything looks perfectly fine," she said. "Now, are you sure you don't want to know what the baby is?"

"Positive," Penny said. Dr. Pepper looked at Leonard, who shook his head. "Okay," said the doctor, "Did you provide the urine sample already?" Penny nodded. "Then I think we're all set. Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?"

Penny thought about it for a moment. "No, I don't think…" she glanced at Leonard, who held up his hands. "Right. My hands feel swollen sometimes, and I've been clumsy."

"That's due to water retention," Dr. Pepper said. "It'll go away once the baby's born." She marked a few things on the clipboard.

"Good," Penny said. "I need my hands on the job, but so far they haven't caused me to drop any food…" she toyed with her hands. "One more thing…I hadn't thought about childbirth much until recently…" She trailed off. "How are my chances of _not_ having to have a C-Section? My sister had one, and so did my friend from work…I know that they're safe nowadays, but they still scare me."

"There is always the chance of an emergency during labor that will require a Caesarian," said Dr. Pepper, "but you're healthy and not in any high-risk category, so I'd say that your chances of delivering normally are very, very good, provided the baby is positioned correctly."

"Good. Thank you," Penny said.

"Do you have any questions, Dad, before I go?"

"No, thank you very much," Leonard said.

"Then I'll see you at the next appointment," she said, smiling and exiting the room, clipboard in hand.

Penny got dressed, made the next appointment, and then she and Leonard headed into the elevator to take them from the fifth floor down to the parking lot. "You never told me you were worrying about a C-Section," Leonard said as the elevator door closed. He hadn't thought of that possibility, although his brother was born by one. "But they aren't that bad, nowadays. It used to be extremely dangerous. Did you know that the popular lore is that Julius Caesar was born that way, and gave the procedure its medical name? However, Julius' mother would have died back then, and so it is false because you can prove that she lived past his birth."

"No…" Penny said, not looking at him. "I did not know that."

Leonard looked at her in concern. She was very quiet, and she was looking down at her feet. She was toying with her hands again, wringing them like she did when she was worrying over something. "What is it?" Leonard asked, touching her arm. "What's wrong?"

She gave him a half-smile. "Nothing. Why does anything have to be wrong?" He didn't say anything; he just looked at her and waited for her to say something else. She glanced at him, then back down. Looking up again a moment later, she sighed. "It's just…I'm not just worried about a Caesarian. It's labor in general. I never gave much thought to that part of it all. If I thought about childbirth at all, it was when we were fighting and I was afraid of you not being with me when the baby's born. But now, with my stomach growing and the baby moving, it all feels real, and I'm terrified of actually having the baby."

Leonard nodded, understanding now. "The doctor said you were very low-risk, I'm sure it'll be fine."

Penny sighed, leaning against the elevator wall. "I know." The elevator doors opened, and she and Leonard exited and headed toward the parking lot. "It's just…you know it's coming, and you can prepare for it and all…but there's no way to fully be ready. And I've heard that some women go into it feeling so, so ready, and it blows them away and they can't handle it. I'm scared I'll fail."

"You won't," Leonard said. "You'll be fine, and so will baby Something. And I will be there with you. Don't cross that bridge until you come to it."

**So with five tests over the next two days, I probably won't be able to update until late Wednesday. And during Thanksgiving break I'm going to publish another story I've started and hopefully finish the Leopold Conundrum, for those of you waiting for it.**

**Oh, and the two books I'm using for the pregnancy information are like 15 years old, so if any of the stuff I said was wrong, feel free to correct me so I can change it.**

**Keep up the reviewing! :)**


	14. The Ribcage Alteration

**Sorry for the few days wait. Sorry about that; tests suck. I still don't own anything.**

"God, do I hate stairs," Penny announced as the gang reached the fourth floor.

"Me, too," Howard said. "You get no privacy on stairs, especially when the elevator is not an option."

Penny looked at him. "Yeah, no, that's not really why I hate stairs."

Raj whispered to Howard. "Okay, why then?"

"For crying out loud people, can't you see how she's hunching over like someone with a spine problem?" Sheldon said, looking as if the reason should be obvious. "Penny is obviously experiencing back pain related to her current physical condition."

"Oh." Both Raj and Howard looked disappointed as the fivesome entered the apartment. They passed out the food that Penny had brought back from the Cheesecake Factory and sat down to eat. They were perhaps halfway through the meal when Leonard noticed that Penny was leaning hard against the back of her chair. "What are you doing?"

"Bracing myself. It helps keep my back straight."

"That looks really…weird," he said as Penny put the food in her mouth while keeping her chin at an obtuse angle to the floor. "But…okay…" he went back to eating.

Sheldon toyed with his barbecue bacon cheeseburger. "Are you sure no one touched this with bare hands?"

"God, yes, Sheldon," Penny said. "We all wore gloves. We always do."

"Did you package this or did Nancy?"

"Nancy? Who…no, Sheldon, Nancy did not package it. She…um…made sure that I did it." Leonard and Howard looked at her in confusion, and when Sheldon looked away she rolled her eyes. They grinned knowingly.

Leonard was smiling in Penny's direction when he saw her wince. "What's the matter?"

"I've got feet in my ribs," she said, shifting position because she'd read that it could help. It didn't. "Ow," she said, half laughing. She poked her stomach gently. "Turn over, will you?" The kicking game again, harder, as if the baby was showing its mother that she really couldn't do anything about it.

"Stubborn little bugger, huh?" Leonard asked.

"Takes after you," she quipped.

"Oh, I believe that's what society would call a burn, am I right?" Sheldon asked.

"Shut up, Sheldon," Leonard said. He turned to Penny. "Try walking around."

"Back pain or ribs-as-punching-bag; it's just the lesser of two evils, isn't it?" She said, slowly rising to her feet.

"Does anyone want to know how that term originated?" Sheldon asked. He got four death glares and backed down. "Maybe some other time."

"Maybe," Leonard said sarcastically. He looked at the table. "Penny, your phone's vibrating."

She came around the couch and picked it up. A confused look came on her face, and she headed toward the door. "I'll be right back."

"Well, I hope it's no one _funny_, or else we'll hear that annoying laugh of hers through the door," Sheldon said, glancing toward it.

"I hope it _is_ someone funny, and her laugh will drown out _you_," Howard said dryly.

Leonard was quiet, looking at the door. "She had an odd look on her face; did any of you notice that?"

Raj, Sheldon, and Howard looked up and said at the same time, "no." It didn't make Leonard feel any better, and he watched the door until it opened nearly five minutes later. Penny stuck her head in. "Leonard?"

Her voice was quiet but had a shrill tone to it, and he got up and joined her in the hall. She was pale, and she looked on the verge of tears. She had her phone in her left hand, clutching it with white knuckles. "Penny, what's wrong now?" He was terrified that something was wrong, with either Penny or the baby. They were six weeks away, so damn close…was their excitement over becoming a family about to be destroyed and replaced by fear, or despair?

"My doctor…" Penny said, "She's dead."

"What happened?"

"Car accident…on her way home from work." Penny started to cry, and Leonard put his arms around her. "Leonard, what am I going to do now? I trusted her; I was comfortable around her! Now I'll need a new doctor, one who hasn't been with me from the start…" She broke down in fresh tears Leonard flinched as she dug her nails into his back, but he didn't protest and just let her cry it out. He knew how much she liked Dr. Pepper, and he had, too, despite only meeting her three times. She was kind, understanding, and was good at her job.

Leonard led Penny into her apartment and sat next to her on the couch. "Calm down, Penny," he said, knowing his words wouldn't help much but feeling the need to talk anyway. "Accidents happen; we just need to move on and play the cards we're dealt."

Penny looked up at him, her eyes red. "It's not just Dr. Pepper, Leonard. It's exactly what you said, accidents happen. What if something like that happens to me, or you?" Her voice quivered. "She's got five children, Leonard! They're like, all under eight years old. What if something happens to us and we leave our baby without a parent?" She buried her head in his chest. "It's not just about us anymore, Leonard. We're going to be responsible for someone else…"

Leonard couldn't tell if she was more afraid of one of them dying or of her having to finish this pregnancy with a new doctor. But that phone call had swept away all the good feelings she had had about their baby and replaced it with a fear that, whether rational or not, was real and consuming. All he could do was hold her and assure her that it would be okay, although he didn't really know that himself.

**I think there'll be two to four more chapters, depending on how I want to split things up. Review, please, and again, thanks to everyone who has so far!**


	15. The Comic Book Appointment

**Thanks for reviewing everyone. I know it was a little sad, but I was re-reading what I'd written, searching for plot holes to fill, and I thought to myself that the beginning had problems aplenty, and now everything seemed to be going fine, and I always get bored reading things where everything's PERFECT. I felt that I should be done with Penny/Leonard fighting, because I focused like four chapters on that, so I needed something else. But no one else is going to die, I promise!**

**Oh, and I still own nothing!**

The following morning Leonard awoke, surprised to find himself in a sitting position on Penny's couch. Penny was curled up against him, her hair a mess, falling over her face. It was then Leonard remembered the events of the past night. He'd kept silent as she cried into his chest, and then he'd felt her body relax as she fell into a much-needed sleep.

He sighed as he thought about what the aftermath of the Dr. Pepper's death would mean. Of course the odds of getting an obstetrician that didn't know his or her job was very, very slim. That wasn't what scared Penny, Leonard knew. She was familiar with the doctor, and felt comfortable around her. Now that familiarity was gone and only six weeks before the expected arrival of their son or daughter.

Leonard got up and eased Penny's head onto the armrest. He grabbed her fluffy blue blanket and laid it gently over her. She shifted uncomfortably-it was hard for her to sleep well now-but didn't wake up. Leonard tiptoed out of the apartment and back across the hall to let Sheldon know that he wouldn't be at the apartment much for the next few days.

* * *

Later on, Leonard helped Penny into his car for their ride to the doctor's offices. The new doctor had agreed to meet with her new patients over a span of the next three days, and Penny had been given one of the first slots. They arrived a few minutes early, and sat in the waiting room while the couple ahead of them saw Dr. Pepper's replacement.

Penny had been tense all morning, but Leonard felt her nerves grow worse as the couple ahead of them entered the waiting room on their way out. The woman had tears in her eyes and her husband looked anxious. A nurse came up to talk to them as another ushered Penny and Leonard into the back room. Leonard felt Penny's grip on his hand tighten as they sat in the little chairs, waiting for the doctor to come in.

"It'll be okay," Leonard said quietly, squeezing her hand. She gave him a tight smile.

Just then the door opened with a slight squeak, and the new doctor walked in. She was tall, like Dr. Pepper, but she was bigger-boned and gave you the impression of being incredibly strong. She was pale, but not ungodly so, and her light blonde hair was pulled back into a smart bun. But what Leonard liked best about her was her bright smile and the cheerful way she said, "Good morning, guys!"

"Morning," they said together.

"I am Dr. Gloria Williams," she said. "I usually work with high-risk pregnancies only but I am taking on half of Dr. Pepper's patients for the time being. After the tragedy, I wanted to meet with all of you as quickly as possible, and I felt you should have one of the first appointments since you seemed one of the most unsettled on the phone, in the opinion of the receptionist."

"Yes. I'm sorry, it just hit me kinda hard," Penny said apologetically.

"That's perfectly understandable," said Dr. Williams. "Now, I spent last night reading up on my new patient's files…"

The next twenty minutes was spent with Penny, Leonard, and Dr. Williams discussing the past months, and with Dr. Williams explaining that the way she went about things was very similar to Dr. Pepper's. "We were in Medical school together, and our first children were born ten days apart." Knowing that Dr. Williams was a mother herself made both Penny and Leonard feel better.

"See, now that wasn't so bad," Leonard said as they left.

"Yeah, you're right. I like Dr. Williams," Penny said. "She's read up a lot on me, and I'm sure the others, too. It's almost as if she's been my doctor from the start."

"She knows what she's talking about," Leonard agreed. "Hey, do you mind if we stop off at the comic book store on the way home?"

"Sure." Penny was looking out the window. "Hey, Leonard?"

"Yeah?"

"That couple we saw…the one that seemed worried…"

"That may have been a high-risk; that is her specialty, after all."

Penny nodded. "You're probably right."

They reached the comic book store a few minutes later. "The newest _Flash_ is out," Leonard said, "and I figure I'll save a trip later to take Sheldon for it." He eased into the parking lot and placed his car in a spot near the entrance. Inside, he went straight for the _Flash _comics. Penny followed him.

"Leonard, Penny!" Stuart waved from the cash register. "Come for _Flash_?" Leonard nodded. "I set one aside, just in case you came instead of Sheldon."

Leonard laughed. "Thanks, Stuart."

"Oh, hey," Stuart said, "I heard about your guys' engagement. Congratulations!"

"Aw, thank you," Penny said. "We're excited."

"The comic book is on me," Stuart said. "I'd offer you one, Penny, but I don't know if you'd consider it a privilege."

She and Leonard laughed. "I appreciate the offer," she said good naturedly.

"So what are your plans?" Stuart asked. "Staying in the area?"

"Oh, yes," Leonard said.

"Definitely," Penny agreed. "We'll probably move into my apartment."

"Oh, so you don't like hopping from one apartment to the next?" Leonard joked. Penny slapped his arm lightly. "I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it."

"Shut up." Penny turned to Stuart. "We'll invite you to the wedding once we set a date."

"I look forward to it." The great thing about Stuart was he always seemed thrilled about whatever the topic happened to be. "And you can be sure that I'll be supplying him or her with comic-books aplenty!"

"The horror…" Penny joked.

**Review, please! I'm thinking there'll be three more chapters, but not totally sure yet…**


	16. The Stairway Commencement

**DISCLAIMER: Nothing at all belongs to me. And as much as that ticks me off, there is nothing I can do to change it. Nothing. Nothing belongs to me.**

**Man, disclaimers are depressing!**

"Now, you are aware that due dates have little or no meaning, right?" Leonard asked. "The actual date of birth can range like, two weeks on either side and be perfectly normal."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Penny said, marking another square off on her calendar. "It'll be spot on-twelve days from now."

"I'm betting it'll be late," He guessed. "You haven't dropped yet."

"Oh, so you're betting, huh?" Penny asked. "Are you that confidant in your assumption that every pregnant woman drops? Because they don't."

"No, but it'll be late."

"Are you saying that because I'm carrying small?" She asked. "That doesn't mean anything, either."

"No, I'm saying it'll be late because it'll be late. And don't you dare say I sound like Sheldon," he warned jokingly. "It'll be late-take my word for it."

"Okay. We'll see."

Since the appointment with Dr. Wilson nearly a month ago, Penny had returned to her happy, fun self. This was the Penny Leonard had known before she'd gotten pregnant, the Penny he loved and was excited to spend his life with. The calendar she had just marked off was hand-made. She'd spent two hours on it one day, and it was bright and cheerful looking, about equal in the pink and blue color.

They still didn't know what the baby was, nor were they really sure what the names would be. Sure, they'd discussed it, but they never really got anywhere. Nothing seemed just right; they didn't want a normal name like Kate, Rachel, John, or Michael, that everyone would have. At the same time, however, they didn't want a totally out there name that would make their child a subject of mockery. Whenever baby names were discussed they usually ended up watching _7__th__ Heaven_ reruns or Animal Planet, which Penny had taken an obsessive liking to over the past few months.

"Raj and Howard are coming over tonight for Thai food," Leonard said as Penny capped her blue marker and hung the countdown calendar back on the wall. "I'm going to head out to get it now so I can fill a prescription, okay?"

"Sure, go ahead," she said. "I'm going to try to take a nap."

"Well, good luck with that," he said, getting up. Penny's track record for sleeping the past two months was not impressive.

"Thanks." She kissed him quickly and headed for the bedroom, wearing the same white T-Shirt and light purple pajama bottoms that she'd woken up in. Her last day of work had been the previous day, and she hadn't left the apartment all day.

Leonard headed for the stairs, reaching in his right jacket pocket for his money. It wasn't there. Confused, he reached into his inside jacket pocket, holding it open with one hand and looking into it with the other. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going and he missed the first step going down the stairs and overcorrected, falling on his back and sliding bumpily down the flight until his feet rammed into the wall at the landing. As he lay there, his head and left foot throbbing, he reached into his left jacket pocket for his phone and found it there, resting against the Thai food money.

She picked up on the third ring. "Couldn't stand not to hear my voice, huh?" Came her teasing voice.

"Penny, get out here." Leonard pulled himself into a sitting position. "I fell down the stairs."

"You what?" He could hear the bedsprings creak as she got up. He hated disturbing her quiet time on his account, but he didn't know who else to call. His friends were at work, and he didn't really know anyone else in the building that well. "I'll be right there, Leonard. Don't do anything else stupid until I get there."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he responded, trying to mimic her offhanded tone from earlier.

She appeared less than a minute later, standing at the top of the stairs. She looked down at him, sprawled on the floor, and burst out laughing. "I'm sorry," she said as the came carefully down the stairway. "You just look so damn funny!"

"I'm glad I could provide you with your comic relief for the day," he said dryly.

She crouched next to him. "What hurts?"

"My head, but it's not that bad. My left ankle really hurts." Penny rolled up his pant leg enough to look at it. "You probably sprained it," she diagnosed.

"Yes, I figured that, can you just help me up?"

"I'm going to topple over when I try," she warned, standing up and offering him her hand.

Leonard took her hand in one of his, using his other to grab the edge of the stair railing. Trying not to put too much weight on Penny and his injured ankle, he slowly rose to his feet. When he finally stood straight up he wobbled and leaned against the wall for support. His ankle burned, but he knew it wasn't broken. It was similar to the pain he'd felt when David Underhill's motorcycle had come down on his foot. It would go away totally in three or four days.

"Do you need to go to the emergency room?" Penny asked.

"No," he said. "No emergency room. Just…walk next to me when I climb the stairs."

"Okay." It took them several minutes, since Leonard didn't want to hang onto Penny and hop, like he'd done after the motorcycle incident.

"Do you remember the last time you were trying to climb these stairs with a bad leg?" Penny said. "That scientist guy was with you, and I went running off with him because he had a stupid motorcycle."

"Oh, I'd nearly forgotten all about that," Leonard lied.

"Shut up; no you didn't. I used to think that was one of the dumbest things I'd ever done, and it was, but it made me realize something."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." They reached the top of the stairs, and Leonard leaned against the wall to rest. "I couldn't be myself around him. I mean, I know that he'd have been fine nailing me even if I hadn't pretended to be a science lover, but those two days I was with him I was trying to be someone I wasn't…" She broke off and looked at him. "Am I making any sense, or am I just rambling?"

"I'm following," Leonard said.

"Okay. What I'm saying is, I used to just run off with men because I was physically attracted to them, but…do you know who Taylor Swift is?"

"Um…singer?"

It was a lucky guess, and Penny knew it. "She has this song called 'I'm Only Me When I'm With You.' The two days with David…they kinda helped me realize that. I'm me around you and your friends, and you and your friends have made me…well, really, _really _glad to be me!" Smiling, she squeezed his hand. "Let's get you settled on the couch. I guess my naptime is out, since _someone's_ got to get that Thai food!"

* * *

Leonard's ankle still hurt the following evening as he and Penny got ready for bed. They'd spent the day in her apartment, watching more T.V. She'd been teasing him constantly about how she was taking care of him instead of vice versa. Part of him felt bad about that, but at the same time, all she was doing was bringing him his lunch and getting up to get his mail. She was full of energy and the farthest thing from a worn down pregnant woman who was forced to care for her injured boyfriend.

"It's way to early to go to bed," Penny remarked as she pulled the covers over her. "It's eight o' clock."

"Are you not tired? Because I sure as hell am."

"Fine, let me rephrase that. It's early to be feeling tired."

"Meh." He turned off the light and they were bathed in darkness.

Leonard fell asleep quickly. He'd been sleeping well, but tonight he could tell from the moment his head hit the pillow that tonight would be a night of deep sleep. Or so he'd hoped. He was annoyed when the bathroom light went on sometime after midnight, hitting him right in the eyes and waking him up. Through his blurry vision, he could see Penny standing in the bathroom, looking at her reflection in the mirror. "Penny," he said, sitting up. "_What_ are you doing?"

"Oh! Sorry," she said, turning the light off and coming back into the bedroom. "I didn't want to wake you up yet."

"Oh, so you were planning to wake me up?" He said irritably. "I thought you were tired."

She knelt on the edge of the bed. "The baby's coming, Leonard."

Leonard had lain back down and was ready to forget about ever waking up, but Penny's words jolted him awake. "What?" He cocked his head. "Are you sure?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Um…yeah."

"No, I mean…those Braxton Hicks contractions…you can't be sure yours are regular yet."

"They're nine minutes apart. I've been timing them."

"You've been timing them? How long have you been awake?" His original pang of excitement was replaced with confusion.

"Oh…two hours." Penny shrugged, standing. "I can hardly notice them, Leonard."

"You should have woken me up," he said, feeling helpless. This had been going on for two hours and he had been _sleeping_? "You should have told me." He fumbled for his glasses and put them on. "And if you can hardly notice them, they wouldn't have woken you up." He jumped out of bed.

She put her hands on her hips. "I didn't wake you because you'd have spent the past two hours pacing the floor," she said, looking at him pointedly. Leonard hadn't even realized that he'd begun to pace. "Just because I couldn't sleep didn't mean you couldn't."

"So what happens now?" He asked.

"We wait." Penny sat on the edge of the bed. "Possibly a long time." She put a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "The waiting is killing me already."

"Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Leonard, it's one o' clock in the morning. Where would we go?"

He shrugged. "I don't know…around."

Penny sighed. "What I really want right now is a margarita."

"No."

She laughed. "I know, I wouldn't. But I can soon, since we're bottle feeding." She licked her lips, paused for a few seconds, and then looked at the clock. "See? Nine minutes."

Leonard looked at her. "That's it?"

"So far." She held up her hand, fingers crossed. "Wishful thinking, huh?" She put her hands on her stomach. "Today we'll finally find out what it is!" Leonard studied her, furrowing his brow and pretending to be deep in thought. "Are you going to guess base on some sort of physics calculation?" She asked him, smiling. He laughed and shook his head. She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

He absentmindedly stroked her arm. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She smiled. "Of course I am! You're not going to freak out on me, are you?"

"Noooo…" Sure he said so, but Leonard wasn't so sure. He felt shaky all over. "I think…" Penny was watching him. He tried to speak again, and then got up, bolted into the bathroom, and threw up.

"Leonard!" She followed him clumsily and put her hand on his back. "Are you okay?"

He was breathing hard, and through his shirt Penny could feel him trembling. "Stop it." She tried to steady him as he rose to his feet. He was pale in the dim light, and Penny kept her hand on his arm even after he was standing. "You're scaring me," she said, only half joking. Leonard still looked shaky, and as Penny tried to guide him into the bedroom his knees buckled and he crashed to the floor.

Penny dropped to her knees beside him and pulled his head into her lap. "Leonard!" She said shrilly, trying to ease herself into a comfortable position while supporting the physicist. She shuffled onto her knees and looked down at him.

"Sorry, Penny," he mumbled. "I got so dizzy." She stroked his hair and helped him up again. "I hope you're aware," she said as they walked slowly to the living room, "that this isn't the ideal thing for me to be doing right now." As she eased Leonard onto the couch and sat down next to him, he began apologizing again. "Shhh." She put her finger on his lips. "Just calm down, okay?

Leonard never expected to have Penny taking care of him when he had looked ahead to this day. He hadn't predicted feeling dizzy and sick. He sure as hell hadn't envisioned himself lying on the couch while Penny sat next to him, asking if he was doing okay. She made him close his eyes and he felt like an idiot. "I feel so stupid," he mumbled.

"Shut up and breathe. I don't need you passing out on the drive to the hospital.

"The hospital!" He sat bolt upright. "Do we need to go?"

"Not yet," she said, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Calm down." They were silent for a while, and then they simultaneously burst out laughing. "We're playing role-reversal again," she said. "Do you want to keep doing so for the next…oh, eight hours or so?"

"If I could…" Leonard trailed off when Penny angled her head. "Yeah, I probably wouldn't," he admitted. They laughed again, Penny quieting sooner than Leonard and looking at the clock. After what seemed like ages to Leonard, Penny closed her eyes and leaned back. "That was seven and a half minutes since the last one."

"Where's the stopwatch you bought?" He asked, and she gestured to the bags they had pre-packed three days before. Getting it out, he sat next to her with it in hand. "I'll keep track of them, and you just tell me when you want to go, okay?"

She slid an arm around his shoulders and rested her head, much like she'd done after they'd made up after the whole David Underhill fiasco. "Five minutes."

"Five minutes?"

"Yeah. When they're coming every five minutes."

"Oh." Leonard rested his head lightly on top of hers. Here it was: the final stage. Sometime that day their baby would finally be here. As he and Penny waited out the first hours on the couch, he felt those irritating mixed emotions of excitement and fear flow through him. In a matter of hours, if all went well, he'd be a father and Penny a mother. A short time after that, he'd be a husband and Penny a wife. Although this baby had been with them for nearly nine months, today was the day that everything would start to change.

He knew that Penny just wanted a healthy baby and a natural birth. He did too; deep down, but at the present moment Leonard just hoped he wouldn't throw up again.

**My Thanksgiving vacation is over now, sadly. I'll try to have this finished by next Sunday; it depends on the amount of homework I have. I'm not sure if there'll be two or three more chapters. I have it basically written out and it's kinda long so I'm not sure how I'm going to split it up. I'm rambling…sorry!**

**Review,_ por favor_!**


	17. The Rapidity Separation

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything I want to own. Hence, nothing is mine.**

Leonard leaned around Penny to look at the clock. That was five minutes. He gripped her hand tighter as she placed the other one on her stomach. "Easy," he said.

"I'm fine," she said stubbornly through her teeth. She had her head propped on his shoulder and her legs were tucked up under her. When it ended, she sighed. "Piece of cake." Leonard raised his eyebrow. "Yeah, who am I kidding?" She straightened up. "Let's get going."

Leonard grabbed the bags that they had pre-packed and Penny took her jacket off the rack. As they took the stairs Leonard's injured leg throbbed, but he hid it well until he tripped on the second floor landing and nearly fell. "I swear to God," Penny said. "You're worse off than I am!"

"No, I'm not," he said, rubbing his leg. "I've had leg pain before."

"When David's motorcycle fell on you?"

"That was one of the times." Wincing, he limped toward the car, Penny right beside him. "Get in, get in, get in!" He urged, flying (as best he could) around to the other side.

Penny was laughing as she eased into the vehicle. "Leonard, take it easy. We've got a ton of time."

"How do you know?" He said. "That baby could be here in ten minutes?"

"No it won't," she said, shaking her head as he put the car in gear and roared out of the parking space. "But _we_ might _not_ be here in ten minutes if you drive too fast."

"I drive a hell of a lot safer than you do," he snapped. Then, realizing how snippy his voice had sounded, he looked over at Penny. "Sorry."

"Eyes on the road!" she snapped back.

"Yes, mother," he said sarcastically. He pulled up to a red light and put the brake to the floor to stop. _Green, green, green…_ he chanted in his head, drumming on the steering wheel. His anxiety was causing him to sweat slightly, and he could feel his injured leg throbbing from trying to run to the car. Penny had been the one worrying about childbirth all this time, and Leonard had swallowed his own trepidation to tell her not to worry, that it would all be fine. But now that the big day was here, he was the one feeling panicky, while Penny sat patiently in the passenger seat, riding out her contractions in absolute silence. When the light finally turned green, he stepped on the gas and sped down the road, the speedometer rising rapidly.

"Leonard," Penny begged. "Slow down, please!"

He didn't answer her. He'd heard the stories of the women who hadn't made it to the hospital in time, and who'd had their babies in the car or on the side of the road. Some of those women, or some of the babies, hadn't lived to go back home. He wasn't going to be able to calm down until she was safely in a hospital room, surrounded by staff that did this all the time.

He didn't see the car pull out in front of him until it was almost too late. Swerving hard, he managed to duck out of the way, but he had to cut across two lanes to do so and almost missed his next turn. As it was, the wheels on one side went up on the curb as he made the corner.

"You're going to kill us!" Penny said, gripping the seat. He didn't hear her words. He only heard the strident tone to her voice, and that scared him even more. He could see the hospital now, just down the road, and, now that it was evident that they'd make it, he began to slow the car down.

" _No_!" Penny moaned suddenly from beside him. Leonard turned to look at her, and out of his peripheral vision saw the flashing lights just behind him. A split second later he realized Penny wasn't moaning from the pain but from being pulled over by a cop with their destination in sight.

"God dammit," Leonard groaned, swinging the car to the side. The first place to safely pull over was the parking lot right next to the hospital, and it killed him that they were so, so close.

The police man exited his patrol car and walked to Leonard's window. "License and registration, please."

Next to Leonard, Penny looked neither at him nor the approaching cop, but at the gray building that sat just out of reach. Why hadn't Leonard just slowed down? There really was no hurry; she was still at five minute intervals on the dot…no, this one's a minute early. Penny closed her eyes and breathed through it. Fine, four minutes. They still had time.

She looked over at Leonard, who was begging the police officer to let them go to the hospital. But that cop-that damn cop!-wasn't budging. Unaware that Leonard was thinking the same thing, Penny's mind raced through her memory to dig up all the news stories she'd seen about policemen who had held couples until it was too late. Until now, her fear had been about Leonard hitting something. That fear was gone now, but it was immediately replaced with the horror of not making it to the delivery room.

Leonard was desperate, too. It was evident on his face. "Officer," he tried, "can you at least let her go? I'm the one behind the wheel."

The officer's small light lit up on Penny's face. "That will be all right." He nodded. "But sir, you will have to stay here until we're finished."

"Thank you." Leonard turned to Penny. "Go. It's only a hundred feet away. I'll be there when I can."

Suddenly, leaving the car was the last thing Penny wanted to do. She didn't want to be stuck in the car, but now that she had the freedom to leave, she didn't want to go a step alone. Her eyes filled up with tears.

"Penny." Leonard reached over, took her hand, and squeezed it. "It'll be okay. Just go, and I'll follow you when he gives me permission, okay?" She bit her lip as he continued. "I'll feel better knowing you're in good hands. You don't want me to pass out again, do you?"

It was only half a joke, but Penny still managed a smile for him as she unbuckled her seat. "Okay."

"I love you," he told her, kissing her hand before letting it go.

"You too." Sliding out of the car, she looked at the officer, who was standing at his car with his radio. "Thank you!" she called. He gave a curt nod, and she waddled toward the hospital. Once inside, she was put in a wheelchair and sent off to her own room, a friendly looking place painted the lightest of greens. It was clean and happy looking, representing what its purpose was, to welcome the newest additions to the world.

However, Penny didn't feel any of the positives that the room implied. As the nurses settled her and brought her ice, all she could think about was being alone. Every minute that Leonard didn't join her she felt more and more anxious, and it wasn't helping her cause. She had read many times that if the mother was scared, the pain was worse and the ordeal took longer. Well, Penny was scared out of her mind, despite being around trained professionals. They showered her with ice and instructions, but her mind was frozen. She couldn't think, she didn't want to think, she needed Leonard. Sitting up in the bed, holding the glass tightly, she watched the door, begging it to open and him to run inside and join her. Every time it didn't she felt more and more hopeless, and hopelessly alone. She downed all the ice in the cup in her nervousness, and slammed it down on the table next to her bed.

"Here, honey," her nurse, a thin woman with graying hair, said less than a minute later. "I brought you some more ice."

"I don't need ice," she said, tensing as she felt another contraction start to build. "_I need my boyfriend!_" It came out way louder than she'd intended it to, but she was too busy trying to breathe to really care. When the pain eased, she slumped back into her pillow. "Leonard," she whimpered, the frustrated tears building up again. She briefly recounted the last time she had been admitted to a hospital, when she'd dislocated her shoulder and had been driven to this same building by Sheldon. She'd been scared then, too (although if something like that happened again she'd be the calmest person ever, compared to this!) but at least she had a friend to stay with her. This time she had no one, and when the next wave of pain began, she gripped the edge of the bed and fought through it, terrified and alone. _Leonard_, she thought, _I need you. Please get here soon._

**So I'm not sure how ungodly obvious this is, but I've never had a baby, nor been in the room with someone who has. I took health, which did have a childbirth video, although it was like two minutes long, and I read a book my mom has from when she was pregnant with me. Still, I need to have the drama come from this little situation these two are in since I really don't know how to make the event itself all that theatrical. *sigh***

**The next chapter may be the last, depending. I'm pretty sure that there won't be more than two more. (And yes, Sheldon, I know that "pretty sure" isn't very scientific.) And speaking of Sheldon, the rest of this story isn't going to be just Leonard, Penny, and the baby and hospital staff. The rest of the gang will make at least one more appearance before the "finale" if you will.**

**It'd be so nice of y'all to review! *wink wink***


	18. The Genuine Love Addition

I still own nothing, which is really very sad. By now you all must have some idea of how much I wish I did!

Leonard watched Penny go and mentally kicked himself for being so reckless. He'd made a promise to himself months before, when they'd gotten engaged. The world was an unpredictable place, and Leonard had vowed that he would be her constant, the one that she would always be able to rely on. Now, only a few short months later, he'd broken that promise. He'd let her down. The minutes were ticking by; the cop still at his car. Leonard shifted anxiously, drumming on the steering wheel. What was taking so long?

His mind was racing. He certainly wasn't stupid-he knew how scared Penny had to be. He also knew that her labor wasn't going on hiatus-no one was hitting the "pause" button just because he wasn't there. He knew that the odds of actually missing the birth were still small, but every moment that Leonard sat out there increased the time that Penny was alone.

Finally, the officer returned with Leonard's ticket. He apologized for the wait, explaining that Leonard's plates had been run wrong and he'd nearly been charged with stealing the car. "That would have been a heck of a misunderstanding," The policeman laughed heartily as he gave Leonard permission to go. Leonard made sure he'd obtained enough information to identify the cop in the future. For sure he was calling about this guy, he thought.

He entered the building and was directed to Penny's room. "I'm glad you're here," said the middle-aged nurse whose name tag said FRANCIS. "She's gotten herself all worked up."

"Is everything okay?" Leonard was walking quickly to keep up with her.

"Physically, yes, everything's going fine, but she's a little panicky and that'll slow things down a little. She keeps calling for you, so I think she'll calm right down now that you're here."

* * *

Penny was crying. She wanted Leonard by her side, holding her hand and just talking to her. The little room had a homey feel to it, but if home was where the heart was, she couldn't feel farther away.

A contraction came then, and she put a hand on her stomach and breathed the way she'd been taught. This one was stronger than the last. She moaned on through it, feeling like the biggest wimp on the planet. She sucked another ice chip down as the contraction eased, and looked at the clock. Two minutes until the next one, just two minutes. _It couldn't be too long now_, she reasoned with herself. _Just calm yourself down; he'll be here as soon as he can_. If he wasn't, she'd have to do this on her own.

Dr. Wilson came in to check on her. There was another woman in her care, a high-risk woman, in the next room, and until something started happening with either of the women she was dividing her time. "Everything is happening as it should," she told Penny. "It'll be fine, I promise." Penny watched the door after she'd gone. She appreciated the woman's kindness, but it could only help so much. She reached for more ice.

She heard the door open as her glass tipped, and she grabbed for it before looking. He was already halfway to the bed. "Leonard!" she choked, dropping the glass to the floor, where it spilled ice in all directions. "Penny," he said quietly, almost to himself. He held her as tight as he dared, and she sighed gratefully.

"What did they give you?" She asked him when they broke apart. "Did you get a ticket?"

"That's not important. How are you doing?" His face radiated concern. "How are they?"

So he _had_ gotten a ticket. Penny sighed. "Two minutes apart." Pulling him back to her, she clung to him, making the best of their awkward positions, her laying in the bed and him standing alongside it. "I'm so scared."

He brushed her hair back from her forehead. "God, Penny, I'm so sorry." He was sweating as much as she was.

Penny squeezed his hand. He looked at her worriedly. "Are you okay?" He was wrestling with guilt, she could tell by his expression. "You look so…" He trailed off. "Do you need anything?"

"I just need you, Leonard." Her voice dropped to a whisper as he sank down on the edge of the bed. "Just don't leave me."

"I promise," he said. "What do you want me to do?"

"Hold my hand," she said. "Don't let go of it even if it feels like I'm breaking your bones, okay?"

"Got it."

* * *

The time lost bothered Leonard the entire time Penny was in labor. He just couldn't shake the feeling that he'd let her down, and every time a contraction hit he thought about the ones he'd missed, the hand squeezes she didn't get, the encouragement she hadn't had. Though she'd told him again and again that he didn't do such a thing, he still felt that he'd abandoned her.

He glanced at his watch. The tightening was coming every minute now, and Dr. Wilson stood on by, waiting. It'd be soon, they had been told; soon their baby would be in their arms. Leonard relayed that information to Penny. "Soon, Penny." He continued to talk in a low voice, trying to not throw in too many words that Penny would not understand. She was listening to him, he could tell, and when the sharp cry pierced the air she turned her face into his leg and half-laughed, half-cried before they both looked up at the doctor holding their child. "It's a girl," she said brightly, beginning to examine the baby along with the nurses.

Leonard looked down at Penny and they smiled at each other, thrilled. He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. Then they looked back up to see their baby being taken out of the room along with Francis. "What's going on?" Penny asked.

"Her APGAR rating is a six," said Dr. Wilson. "We like it to be a seven or better, so we're putting her under observation for about ten minutes. Don't worry," she said as Penny's eyes teared up, "These things just happen. She's not in any danger."

"Are you sure?" Penny asked. Leonard could hear the fear in her voice.

Dr. Wilson smiled. "Yes, I am. It's just a precaution, okay?"

Leonard squeezed Penny's hand with his own sore one. "She'll be back, Penny," he told her. He'd read about this. "Hospital staff do an APGAR test on newborns, and if they don't score at least a seven (out of ten) then the baby goes under observation." So their baby had scored a six. If a doctor like Dr. Wilson wasn't concerned, Leonard told himself, he shouldn't be either.

After what seemed like forever, but was actually less than ten minutes, Francis re-entered the room. "Here you go," she said, handing Penny the infant. "She scored a nine. I'll leave you three alone." Smiling, she backed slowly out of the room and eased the door shut behind her.

Penny looked down at her daughter. The little girl had dark hair, and the eyes that seemed too big for her face were dark as well. But the shape of her face was so close to that of her mother's, as was her nose, that anyone who knew Penny and Leonard would be able to tell in an instant that she was theirs.

"I want to name her Savannah," Penny announced. "Savannah Mary Hofstadter." She looked up at Leonard. "Is that okay?"

"Nope," he said right away. "I'm just kidding," he laughed when he saw the surprise on her face. "It's unique, but she won't be beaten up over it…" He trailed off. "That isn't fun."

He looked longingly at their daughter. Penny followed his gaze. She wanted to stay like this, cuddling Savannah close, but the baby was Leonard's, too. "Here," she offered, gesturing to Savannah with her head. "Hold your daughter."

Leonard took the baby in his arms, and Penny felt her eyes welling up again. He was holding Savannah close, talking to her with his smile lighting up his entire face. Seeing him like that took Penny back.

All her life, she'd had to deal with the fact that she wasn't what her father had wanted. No matter how hard she'd tried to please him, the fact remained that she was not a boy. She'd tried playing sports, she'd helped on the farm, but the tiny feeling of belonging that occasionally came over her dissipated completely when she, as Leonard's mother put it, "entered adolescence." Then, it became even clearer that she was a disappointment simply because of her gender. Now, watching the man she loved hold their little girl and talk to her in a loving voice, choked Penny up. Knowing that Leonard was genuinely happy with their daughter meant more to Penny than she felt he'd ever know.

**I need to stop saying how many chapters are left, because it seems like I'm always saying two or less. Well, I'm saying it again, and hopefully it's right this time. The next chapter or the one after will be the end. The part that is left, well…part of me thinks it should be split into two separate chapters, so I'm trying to decide on whether I'll make a page break or another chapter. Well, reviews would be soooo nice, in the meantime!**


	19. The Car Seat Visitation

**If one was to ask what I ACTUALLY owned here, my answer would be the same as many of my answers on math tests-a blank space.**

"Sheldon, Raj, and Howard are here," Leonard said from the doorway. "Dr. Wilson says they can come in and see you if you feel up to it."

"Okay," Penny said. She was sitting up in bed, day-old Savannah in her arms. The baby was asleep, having not even finished her bottle. She set the half-finished meal on the nightstand. "She's not eating all that much. I'm a little worried."

"Don't be worried," Leonard said. "Newborns don't need much food for the first three or four days. Soon it'll seem like we can never feed her enough." He headed for the door. "I'm going to go and get them all. Francis says that they're in the waiting room."

"Sure. It's only been a day and a half, but...I miss them," Penny admitted.

"I'll be right back." Exiting the room, he headed down the hall to the waiting area.

"Hey, guys," he said when he saw them. Raj and Sheldon were seated; Howard stood in front of them, looking exasperated. "What's…going on?"

"Howard and Sheldon are having a pointless argument over your stupid car seat," Raj explained. "They tried to jimmy into your car to put it inside when we got here, and neither will fess up to setting the alarm off."

"It wasn't me!" they both protested, glaring at each other.

"It doesn't…it doesn't matter who it was," Leonard said. "Did you get the alarm off?"

"Thanks to my quick thinking," Sheldon said.

Howard jumped up. "Your quick thinking…"

"Howard sit down," Leonard said with exasperation.

"Okay." he sat agreeably.

Leonard leaned against the wall. "Just so we're clear-the car seat is now in my car, which is locked, and the alarm is off. Am I right?"

"Yes." Said the three scientists.

"Good," Leonard said. "Penny said she'd love to be able to see and talk with you guys."

"Don't we all," Howard said, glancing at Raj.

"Not funny, dude," he snapped as they followed Leonard down the hall.

Penny was watching the door, and when the gang came into view, she smiled broadly. "Hi guys!"

"Hello, Penny," Sheldon said.

"Madam," Howard said.

Raj smiled.

Leonard watched as his friends gathered around Penny and Savannah. He'd given them a pretty firm warning about being polite while they were there, and either they'd planned to all along or they were heeding his warning. Leonard smiled as Raj pointed at Savannah and gave Penny a thumbs up. "Aw, thanks Raj," she said, smiling warmly at her friend.

Howard was looking at Savannah intently. "Can I…can I hold her?" he asked hesitantly. His words, and the tone in which he spoke them, surprised Leonard. Howard looked captivated by the baby, as if he'd never seen a newborn before. Perhaps he hadn't, Leonard wasn't sure.

Penny handed their daughter over to Howard. He looked down at the baby, who was awake now and returning his gaze. "Hi," he said. "I'm Howard." Savannah looked at him, not blinking, her innocent expression taking in the engineer. "Wow," Howard said, shaking his head. "She is so damn cute." He looked at Penny. "Has…has Bernadette seen her yet?"

"No," Penny said. "She's supposed to come sometime today or tomorrow before I go home…"

"She was planning on coming this afternoon," Leonard said. "She called when you were asleep."

"There you go, then," She said to Howard.

"I think," Howard said, handing Savannah back to Penny, "that I am going to give her a call. Maybe we could go to lunch and come see you guys together." He pulled his cell phone out of his too tight pants and headed out of the room. Raj gave another thumbs up and followed, leaving Leonard to wonder if the baby made Howard think of Bernadette because he wanted to have children with her one day. It was a possibility, Leonard thought. They sure cared for each other.

"Well," Sheldon said, now that the others were gone. "How are my two comrads, the self-proclaimed _branta Canadensis_?"

"Self-proclaimed what?" Penny asked, cocking her head.

"Canada Goose," Leonard translated. He turned to Sheldon. "Greetings, self proclaimed _homo Novus_."

"What up, Moon Pie?" Penny contributed.

Sheldon's face tensed up. "_I told you_," he said, his lips twitching. "_No one calls me that but mee-maw_!"

"Sheldon, sweetie," Penny said, laughing. "I'm just messing with you."

Sheldon didn't answer; he was looking at Savannah. "So this is what you get when you compare a work-a-day mind with one of little to no value," he said musingly, half to himself. "Hmmm…"

"You're _so_ sweet," Penny said sarcastically.

"I was not trying to be sweet," Sheldon informed her. "I was attempting to establish a familiar atmosphere in this strange room by starting our conversation with my typical analysis of your intelligence, or lack thereof." He stopped and looked at Leonard and Penny. "However, it appears to me now as if you were responding sarcastically to my examination."

"You picked up on that. Good for you," Leonard said with a sigh.

"Thank you," Sheldon said, looking proud of himself. "Just to clarify, my scrutiny of your brainpower was not a use of sarcasm."

"Noted," Leonard replied as Savannah squirmed in Penny's arms and began to cry. "Now look at that, Sheldon, you've made her cry." Penny rocked the baby gently, talking to her, but she didn't quiet. Instead, her cries grew louder in volume, and her red little face scrunched up.

"It was hardly my fault that…oh _dear_ lord, give her here!" Sheldon snatched the baby from Penny, and for a split second Leonard was afraid he'd try to silence Savannah in a way that wouldn't be good for her. He therefore was surprised when, less than ten seconds after coming into Sheldon's arms, Savannah was quiet, her eyes closed and her face tranquil. Sheldon handed her back to Penny. "Must I do _everything_ for you two?" He marched out of the room, muttering something about "inferior minds."

"Well, we know who to go to if she won't stop crying," Leonard commented. "As long as it isn't at night!"

"Wackadoodle," Penny replied.

**The next chapter will be the last. Let me know what you think, as always. Reviews are welcome!**


	20. The Forever Commitment

**Well, here it is: The last chapter of The Third Party Accumulation. Before I say anything else I, want to thank flboo22, LenaGuffi, , bbtfan, big bang theory fan number 1, FullHouseandPixarLover, CountryGrl, and Invisible Pawprint for reviewing this. I really enjoyed writing this, and I hope everyone who read it enjoyed doing so. To all you Leonard/Penny fans out there-I am a fan forever and we need to keep these two alive. Keep writing your stuff, and keep believing that these two **_**can**_** make it!**

**Oh, and as was kindly pointed out to me-I OWN SAVANNAH! Wow! I own something! Nothing else, of course, but…**

"Let's get this little girl home," Leonard said happily the next day. Penny and Savannah had finally been discharged, and the couple was happy to be heading home. Francis had wheeled Penny and the baby out to the parking lot, and she watched as Leonard and Francis settled Savannah into the car seat. She had insisted that she didn't need a chair, but when Leonard had reminded her that she'd gotten dizzy walking to the bathroom and back, she'd accepted the help. Now she eased out of the chair and got in the passenger side.

When they got home, Leonard put Savannah in the baby basket they'd bought and carried her upstairs, walking slowly so Penny could keep up. Inside her apartment, they settled her into the crib, having set it in the living room near the couch.

"_Knock knock knock_ LeonardandPenny? _Knock knock knock_ LeonardandPenny? _Knock knock knock_ LeonardandPenny?"

Leonard went to answer the door, and Penny sank down on her side of the bed. She could still see Savannah from that vantage point, but now she felt too tired to wait for Leonard to return. Her eyelids were heavy, and within minutes she was sound asleep, grateful to be in her own bed again.

When Penny awoke, she slid out of bed and went into the living room. Leonard sat there with a pile of papers. He was reading them intently, underlining sections. "What's that?" she asked.

"Stuff for work." Leonard was frowning, and Penny wondered if she'd caused him to get behind. Savannah had been their lives for the past several months, and she knew he hadn't been spending as much time on his work as he should have. She relayed her thoughts to him in the form of a question, and Leonard smiled. "Nah. This stuff is redundant, the same crap we've been analyzing for nearly a century." He patted the seat next to him, and she eased down on it, tucking her legs up. "My poor little homunculus," she said, patting his leg.

"What sort of awful names are you going to call Savannah?" he asked teasingly.

"Hmmm…well, maybe…bear?"

"Why would you want to call her _that_?" Leonard asked.

"No…" Penny said, laughing. "What's with the big stuffed bear in the crib?"

"Believe it or not, Sheldon," Leonard said. "He said something about traditional children's toys…he actually went with Wolowitz and Koothrapali to a Build-A-Bear."

"Really!" Penny grinned. "Maybe there's hope for him after all."

Leonard looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, I didn't really think that through," she admitted, smiling back. "Let's move the crib into the bedroom."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. If she cries, we won't be able to sleep no matter where the crib is, and I want her near us."

"Okay," Leonard agreed, and Penny took Savannah into her arms while Leonard moved the baby's bed into their room, positioning it in front of Penny's nightstand. "Is that better?"

"Mmmm…" Penny pretended to scrutinize it. "It'll do, I guess."

Leonard shook his head teasingly.

Late that afternoon, when Savannah woke up, Leonard and Penny went next door to have dinner. They were surprised by a party welcoming the three home. Raj, Howard, Sheldon, Mrs. Cooper, Missy, Stuart, Leslie, Bernadette and the rest of the waitresses, and even Stephanie came, now officially Dr. Stephanie Young. She'd been married two months before to another surgeon. Penny and Leonard were shocked at first that Sheldon was able to keep this a secret…but it turned out that he'd just found out minutes before. Everyone took turns holding Savannah, and Penny and Leonard assured them all that when a wedding date was set, they'd be invited.

Savannah was too young to even react much to what was going on, but she stayed awake and alert throughout the entire party and seemed to take a special liking to Sheldon's mother. "I have not seen a cuter baby girl since my Missy was born," she declared, glancing over to where Missy was standing with Raj.

Penny suddenly stepped forward and hugged her. "Just…thanks again, Mrs. Cooper. For helping me and Leonard."

Her smile widened. "Oh, sweetheart," she said in her matronly voice, "I did nothing. I always knew you two were a cute couple."

It was late by the time the party was finally over and Leonard and Penny headed across the hall with their daughter. "I'm going to take a bath," Penny said as she and Leonard settled the baby.

"Okay," he said.

When Penny came back into the room, Leonard was still standing near the crib. Coming up next to him, she slid her hand into his while they looked down at their daughter. Savannah was sleeping peacefully, the build-a-bear from Sheldon tucked up next to it.

"I was wondering," Leonard said, pointing at the baby. "Is that supposed to be there?"

Penny cocked her head as she noticed a lump under the blanket where a tiny hand was resting. "What the…" Tugging the coverlet back, her hand flew to her mouth in shock. There, on two of Savannah's tiny fingers, was a beautiful ring.

She looked at Leonard, speechless. He just grinned at her. She looked back at her little girl wearing her engagement ring and slid it off of her daughters' hand slowly and carefully. Leonard slid the ring on her finger. "Do you like it?"

She was choked up and could barely see Leonard through her tears, but she knew where he was well enough to come into his arms and bury her head into his shoulder. She was sobbing as hard as she had back when they were fighting and she thought that she'd be alone for the rest of her life. Her tears this time, however, were happy.

She'd been thinking about getting married since she was twelve. She'd always pictured herself at the side of a handsome, muscle-bound jock. She'd expected to spend her days as a successful actress, living the easy life in a big house with her body-building man. She'd never believed that she'd marry a socially inept science fiction geek who lived in an old apartment building. She'd never imagined spending her life with a lactose intolerant, short, pale physicist who had none of the attractive qualities of the fantasy man of her teenage years. However, she'd never expected to love this much either.

"You'll still marry me, right?" Leonard asked with a smile.

"God, yes," she managed to say, lifting her head and kissing him. She stood as close to him as possible, hugging him close. When they pulled away, she smiled at him, and he back at her. "We're parents, Leonard," she stated, although she knew quite well he was aware.

"Nothing is going to be the same again," he said. "Now it's not just us, it's diapers, colic, and sleepless nights."

"Its school, friends, enemies, and teachers, good and bad," Penny agreed. "Growing up, moodiness…and it's not just Savannah. We'll have bills, events…"

"Other children?" Leonard asked.

Penny smiled. "I hope so."

"There are trials ahead of us," Leonard said. "Good days and bad. Highs and lows." He paused, looking over Penny's shoulder at their little girl. "But we can handle it."

"We're a family," Penny said, turning in his arms so their daughter was in her line of vision. She sighed happily. "It seems too good to be true. I never imagined this day happening for fear it never would…"

Leonard rested his chin on her shoulder, both of them looking lovingly at Savannah. "You, me, and Savannah." That was all he said, but it was enough for Penny to understand. He meant that their fights and their bad days had only made them closer. The downs had propelled the ups to new heights. It was pointless to talk about missing their chance together-they hadn't done such a thing. However it happened, they were here. She spun around again, so she faced Leonard. "We're a family," she said again, happily. She pulled him close again.

"I love you," he said, tightening his arms around her waist. "So, so much."

"I love you too," she said, meaning it with all her heart. She leaned into him, adoring the closeness of the man she loved and the child that they had created together. Her eyes were still watering, from pure joy and contentment. She had the two most important people in her life within feet of her, and it made her think yet again how lucky she was. Nine months earlier, she and Leonard were merely dating. She hadn't known he was the one until she'd thought he was gone forever. Now he was back, and they were together, and they would be married and stay that way the rest of their lives.

"Forever."

The one word, whispered against her neck. She turned her head to the side and rested it on his shoulder, and they continued standing there, watching their baby sleep.

**Well, there it is. I'm a little sad this is finished, I loved writing it. I used to read fanfics and not understand how someone could carry on writing fiction for fiction for more than a few chapters, but…I certainly understand now. **

**For those of you who were waiting for the wedding, I'm planning either an epilogue or a single-chapter story about that, so it'll be coming.**

**Review, if you wish!**


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